Project Abominations: Transport City
by Kurieo Parnok
Summary: Taking place two weeks after the events of *Project Abominations*, a group of youth in Autobot-made Transport City are about to be thrust from their peacful lives by fate, destiny, and Decepticons.
1. Prolouge

**Summary: Taking place two weeks after the ending events of _Project Abominations_, a group of kids in Transport City are finally about to have their lives disrupted by fate, destiny, and the Decepticons. Rated for language, violence, and crude humor.**

**Author's note: Here you go, guys, the sequeal to _Project Abominations_! I hope you have as much fun reading it as much fun as I had writing it. To new readers: I highly recomend reading _Project Abominations _in my gallery to catch up. It's a long one, but it can't be that bad if there's a sequeal, right? Review when you can and constructive criticism shall be taken like a strong lass! ^_^**

**Oh, and if I make any geographical (don't know if that's a word, don't care) mistakes, my bad.**

**And of course...**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers or any attached blessings to it, as they were intially created and are owned by the toy company, Hasbro. I only own the Efforts and the story.**

**Chapter 1: Prologue/ Meet the Kids**

Welcome to Transport City, a city built with Transformer technology and human materials in the shallow seas just off the eastern coast of Britain between that ever-so-famous island country and the continent of Europe. Built upon spires of metal and stone and protected and made stronger by magnetic technology and force fields, the glittering metal city has its own parks, and its uniquely shaped buildings, often with few to no corners and sweeping, curved sides, make it a true vision of the future made a reality. Roads are skillfully made high over the bridges and among the towering buildings, making a fantastic and exhilarating ride when one was driving many feet above the paved streets below. Emergency hover vehicles dart between the buildings, above the ground-bound roads, and around the swooping sky-high road ways, independent of a true lane as they speed to do their duty.

Currently, the clouds are scarce in the unusually warm blue spring sky and the polished silver buildings glittered in the sun light. Humans and Transformers alike attend their duty of polishing the glass and metal buildings while below them more of their organic and metallic comrades travel the streets, attending to their own business of work and play alike. Occasionally, some cop cars would speed by chasing some hooligan or another, but that was to be expected with in any city.

On all but the western side of the island people come to and from the main land via ferries, cruise ships, fishing boats, and cargo ships to name but a few sea-bound travelers. Three battleships, all of His Majesty's Royal Navy, are currently docked at the island and sailors are chasing women and drink as they leave the ships. Far below the surface, underwater subway tunnels, both on the ocean floor for tourism reasons and beneath for practical, safer reasons, help people come to and from the mainland if they did not mind almost half an hour ride and refused to suffer sea sickness.

If a visitor thought that Transport City was pretty in warm, sunny weather, they would be advised to visit in the _winter_. That was when the sea would send in its icy army of frozen water crystals, covering everything in a shiny shell of ice that would jut up in certain places to create massive, impressive crystals. Once the snow came in, the ice and crystals would bond lovingly with the white powder and thus, the entire city would appear to be made out of crystals and snow, like some fantastic city of winter from a fairy tale.

Indeed, Transport City was a marvelously beautiful place for the Autobots to set their permanent headquarters.

Wait, Autobots setting their headquarters in Europe? But what of America, where they originally fought, and there was more land and space?

Well, it turned out that America just hadn't been the center of the political world enough for the Autobots. They needed to be where all sorts of political actions were so that they could easily talk with political leaders of all sorts. Since the Final Battle that had ended the Autobot-Decepticon War had resulted in the death of the Prince of England and unearthed many political scandals when careless tongues wagged whilst drinking at a victory party after the Final Battle, Europe had been the perfect place for the Autobots to build their city. That, and Europe had had many budding scientific minds popping up and the Autobot scientists wanted to be in close proximity with these budding minds, and its economy had been perfect for such enormous projects as a sea-bound city. With many eager, wealthy companies funding them and helping them, Transport City was built in a remarkably short time of three years and inhabited with in five. Now Transport City was the seat of power for the Autobots while Cybertron was still being rebuilt, forty Earth years after the war's end, with numerous bases all over Earth and the universe. Peace reigned and life was good.

- - - - - - - - - - -

"Josh! Get your butt up, young man! You're going to be late for school!"

Josh pushed the sleep from his mind, but kept his eyes closed.

"What's the date, dad?" he muttered.

"Josh?" his dad's distant, muffled voice called.

"What's the date, dad?" Josh yelled. He knew it was June 2nd; the first day of summer vacation.

A moment of silence followed before Joe Witwicky said, "Oh, my bad. Okay, but be up before noon, will you?"

"Why should I?" Josh called out, yawning as he rolled over in bed and snuggled deeper into the soft wool blankets.

"Because then you'll miss Jazz before his starts filming his movie."

Josh's grey eyes snapped open and he sat up in bed, dark brown, almost black, hair spiked and contrasting against his pale skin. Around him, his jumbled bed made a nest of blankets that reflected the crowded mess of his room, filled with all sorts of music equipment and motor bike care supplies.

"I'm up!! I'm up!!" Josh yelled, jumping out of bed.

Two minutes later, he had yanked on blue jeans, socks, sneakers, and a yellow tee-shirt showing some band or another. He scrambled down the stairs of the Witwicky's home as he struggled to pull on a backpack and a blue and white cap of the Transport City Porpoise, the city's official soccer team.

Down the narrow stairs and to his left was a small kitchen where his parents, Joe and Mary Witwicky, were eating breakfast. Josh spotted a plate heaped high with toast and reached for the top slices. Mary Witwicky turned, smacking his hand with a spatula.

"Hey!" Josh whined, with drawing his hand and shaking it.

His mother handed him a freshly heated breakfast Hot Pocket in one of Josh's hands while the other gave him a paper sack lunch. Josh was never home for lunch and his mother didn't want him spending his money on some "street-side garbage" Between them the balding Mr. Witwicky went on reading his newspaper.

"Now remember, Josh," the forty-some woman warned. "Do _not_ go on the High Roads; use your bike and go down well-lit streets only."

"And remember to get to the Autobots' place in time for the party, birthday boy," Mr. Witwicky reminded.

"Sure, mom, sure, Dad, thanks," Josh said quickly, kissing his mom on the cheek before stuffing half the Hot Pocket into his mouth and bolting out of the kitchen.

"Kid likes Jazz," Mr. Witwicky grunted with a small smile.

"Well, yeah," Mrs. Witwicky said with a small, nervous smile and shuffle. "I would _hope_ he would, considering how close they are."

"Are we going to tell him?" Mr. Witwicky asked, looking up from his newspaper at his brown-haired wife. "We have to _some_time."

"No," she replied. "There's no need to. Not yet…"

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Josh, meanwhile, had exited the cozy apartment via a back window onto the fire escape. The building curved around the fire escape on either side of him, framing the view of the docks that surrounded all but the western shores of the artificial island making Transport City, and the glittering sea beyond. He paused, one leg out of the window and the other with in the Witwicky family apartment, and looked out to the fishing boats and ferries drifting in the water. Two fishing boats were about to crash. One honked and the other suddenly seemed to contort and it jumped into the air as a short-limbed, stocky robot with the fishing nets attached to one ankle. The men of the Transformer boat fell out as the robot transformed to get out of the way of the other boat. When it dropped back behind the other boat, back in fishing boat form, Josh could hear the fishermen's curses from where he was at.

He laughed, then turned and dragged a small motor bike out of the window and onto the fire escape. Un-strapping the helmet tied around its handlebars, he placed it over his head, turning up the collar of his pale denim jacket, and looked down, grinning, when he heard a clatter of machinery below. Two stories below him on the ground in the alley below, a garbage truck was emptying the building's dumpster into its back end. Josh kicked at the fire escape's banister and a part of it swung aside like a door; evidence of some one's stunt-gone-wrong when they accidentally pulled part of the banister off and only part of it had been welded it back on, making it this sort of door.

"Let's do this," Josh muttered, mounting his bike and turning it around to pass through the opening in the banister.

Kicking off of the fire escape, he started the engine of his bike up with a small snarl and fell through the air. The bike bounced when he landed on the garbage truck's roof, then, before the garbage men could yell, he rolled down the front of the truck and sped out of the ally way.

The streets beyond were crowded with morning traffic that honked at each other impatiently. Emergency hover vehicles sped by once in a while over head, their sirens wailing desperately that they were coming to the rescue. Small Transformers, like Minicons, and humans roamed the side walks, but parted for the motor-bike riding teenager. He grinned as he rounded a corner with tire-screeching rapidness and began speeding south, towards a large part of the docks that had been closed off for a recent film production.

Suddenly, as Josh approached the corner, a truck in front of Josh made him stop abruptly when it suddenly rose up on its wheels, warning of a transformation. The grille of the red truck parted as each half became shoulders. The rear tires were thrust out before their axle broke apart and the rear of the truck became legs and feet. The front tires and their equipment were thrusted out, becoming arms and hands. Finally, the hood rose up, flipping over to become a back, and an impatiently grimacing head emerged. A human man in a business suit tumbled out of the truck during the transformation, and was picked up by the Transformer upon the completed change.

The human yelled as the truck began to walk away, human in hand. "What are you doing!?"

"Getting out of traffic, shut up," the impatient Transformer grunted.

Behind them, a white SUV carefully and awkwardly moved forward to fill the space the truck had left. Josh chuckled and shook his head. It was ticket-worthy for a Transformer to change their forms while in traffic, as well as transforming with a _human_ with in the robot.

Weaving through the traffic, he crossed the street and was soon going downhill on a ramp to the docks. Over head, a high road crossed over the ramp and he heard the trucks and other fast cars rumble over head. Mostly Transformers took the high roads that were on bridges high over the city streets because many of them had low guard rails. It added a certain touch of Cybertron to the city.

Josh smiled when he saw the numerous trailers and stations of film equipment marking out the area of the docks that the movie was being produced. To the side of the production field was a line of cars and vehicles that were to be used in the movie—some crime thriller or another; Josh had heard that it was going to be the first full-length movie of the most famous crime-and-justice detective show ever. Among the stunt vehicles was a Martini Porsche 935 Turbo; slightly out of place amongst the newer cars, but according to rumors surrounding the movie, one of the side characters driving the 935 was supposed to like old cars. That, and everyone knew that that was how Jazz was famous in movies; some how, when someone was watching a movie and saw the familiar robot roll onto screen in alt-form, all the screaming fan girls made the movie a hit.

A temporary gate had been set up to keep the reporters (still sleeping at this early hour of eight AM) and fans at bay. The security guard perked and jumped to his feet when he saw Josh coming, but Josh skidded right under the gate, ignoring the guard, and went on to slide to a hockey-style stop by the Porsche.

"Hey, hey ,hey!" Josh whooped. "Look who's back in town!"

"Hey!" the security guard bellowed, charging after Josh. "You're not supposed to be here!"

"It's cool, George, he's with me," the silver car said, standing up.

Josh grinned as a grin appeared under a reformed visor when the car finished transforming into a silver and black robot.

"Go on back to the gate, George, this kid's with me," the robot told the startled-looking security man.

"O-Okay, Mr. Jazz," George said, glancing one last time at Josh before going back to the gate.

"So, Jazz, how long you gonna be here?" Josh asked, setting the stand to set his bike aside.

"Can't wait to get rid of me already, eh?" Jazz asked.

"No… I want to see how long we got to drive Prowl crazy," Josh replied. "I _finally_ get my license at sweet, sweet, sweet sixteen today, and I want to use and abuse the power as much as I can in one hour against Prowl. Looks like you'll be here for a while."

"Yeah; we're here 'til next March! We're gonna be doing scenes in all seasons!"

"Sweet, that gives us ten whole months!" Josh cheered, smacking high-fives with Jazz.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

"What do you mean I just earned myself a ticket!?"

"I'm sorry, Mr. Mucus Bummer," the police car Transformer said as he jotted down something on his pad before ripping a sheet off and handing it to the red truck Transformer. "But it's against the law to transform in traffic, and to transform with a human with in your self. Have a good day, Mr. Mercedes Blubber."

"It's _Musclebumper!!"_ the red truck snarled, but took the paper sheet and transformed into truck mode with a mad clank, revving his engine angrily. His embarrassed human passenger hesitantly climbed into the truck when he opened his side door. The truck door slammed shut and the truck drove off, just barely keeping it self from slamming on the gas in spite of the cop it had just encountered in front of the Transport City Art Gallery.

"Well," a sixteen year old girl sitting on one of the walls splitting up the wide steps leading to the gallery said. "_That_ was entertaining. I liked 'Mussel Bumper' particularly."

"Musclebumper is a conceited nickname, like Super Steven or the Jack-Star," the cop Transformer snorted as he leaned against the wall the girl sat on. "I couldn't help but to discourage this sort of display of ego in my own way. Enjoying your self thus far, Amethyst? It's a strange way to spend your first day of summer vacation."

"Father!" the girl exclaimed as a blush entered her sandy brown skin and sitting up. "I liked to be called _Becky_; Amethyst is too girly."

"What ever you say, _Amethyst_," the cop car said, flashing a rare, small smile as he stroked the girl's long, black, wavy hair and looked into her angry-looking, almond-shaped turquoise eyes.

Suddenly, a radio with in the cop car crackled to life.

_Shh-k! "Officer Parker to Officer Prowl; we have a 5150 with a 905N at Aluminum Drive 1337; 5150 is a 417 and the other is a 230—oh crap, 556 with a 919 dragging along a 202 just appeared on scene; Requesting back up."_

"How did _that_ happen?" Prowl muttered, then through the radio, "Copy that, Officer Parker, we're coming."

He dropped down, transforming into a sleek black and white police cruiser and opened his passenger door for Becky.

"Come on, Amethyst; let's fix this. Then we can head over to the headquarters for the birthday party."

"It's _Becky_, father, _Becky_," the fifteen year old scolded as she dropped won from her perch and got into the car.

"What ever,_ Amethyst_" Prowl chuckled as belts slid across Becky and he pulled into traffic, cruiser lights flashing.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

He looked eighteen, with his height and lanky limbs, but he was really only fifteen about to become sixteen. He had pale peach skin with wiry, floppy copper-colored hair that often fell over his wide, nervously twitching pale green eyes. He was a nervous boy, obviously, and this showed when he fumbled with packages that he was unloading from an extremely large red, white, and blue space jet. Finally, the last of the cargo was unloaded and he sighed gratefully, he adgusting the askew red collar of the red, white and blue jumpsuit he wore.

"Hey, kid," a red truck Transformer grunted as he entered the dock area that the boy was unloading at. "I need a replacement part before my human gets off work this afternoon and I heard you're the only one whose got access to it, so where is it?"

"Sir," the boy said softly. "If you wait, the part you need will be on the shelves early tomorrow morning."

"Look, flesh bag," the truck Transformer snapped. "I'm having a bad day; I got a ticket for transforming in traffic to get over it, one of my human's co-workers spilled hot coffee all over my passenger seat, some woman's _fuzz ball_ urinated all over my tire, and now I got this really _annoying_ inner tick in my side that needs to be fixed _now_, you idiotic squishy, so where is that part??"

"You're about to receive a punishment far worse than a ticket if you talk to my son like that again."

The enormous air ship the boy had been unloading suddenly transformed, becoming a giant of a white mech with red and blue accents, glaring sternly down at the suddenly smaller (and meeker) truck Transformer. After a long moment of staring up at the enormous mech with an open jaw, the truck Transformer squeaked.

"Sorry, Mr. Skyfire, I'll leave you two alone and wait, but, uh, did you say s-s-son?" He asked, looking down at the boy.

"Have you ever heard of Breaker Labs?" Skyfire inquired.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, those super sigh-sigh-scientists!" the Transformer suddenly exclaimed, remembering a thing of great importance. "Oh! Breaker Labs, Efforts, bring the human-and-Transformer-race closer, Project Smelting, warm fuzzes, yeah, yeah, uh, I'll just, uh, see ya around, um… bye."

The truck Transformer suddenly dropped into his truck alt-mode and drove off, tires squealing on the pavement. The boy smiled up at Skyfire, who returned the smile as he offered a massive fist.

"Thanks, Dad," the boy said, touching knuckles in the mis-sized Rock.

"Your welcome, Michelangelo," Skyfire replied. "Come on; Benjamin will be landing soon and then the party will start."

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Max stood on the edge of the half-a-football-shaped building, staring down the steep slope at the numerous polishers donning the building's shiny surface at the moment. The wind brushed its teasing fingers through his bright yellow hair, which peeked out from under his black and gold helmet like streaks of some careless child's paint job. His yellow tee shirt pressed against his thin body as his cargo jeans weighed heavily on his hips. His sea blue eyes sparkled with mirth as he looked down the building and its horrible heights. A black leather harness crossed an X across his chest and had additional straps circling his hips and his mid section, as well as crossing around his arms like a back pack, all connecting to one thick strip down his back that ended in a stor of clip-like contraption that held a skateboard. The skateboard's underside decoration had been scratched beyond recognizability.

"Your dad's not gonna be happy about this," one of Max's skater buddies warned behind him from the safety of the center of the small roof.

"Oh, come on, Brice," the fifteen year-old told the fellow skater, slipping a pair of tinted-lens goggles over his eyes as a white, toothy, mischievous grin crossed his face. "When has Pops ever been happy about _anything_ I've done?"

Pulling the a skateboard from the harness on his back, he dropped it on the roof in front of him.

Turning suddenly, Max jumped onto his skateboard, and slid down the side of the building.

Window polishers on their platforms over turned their wash buckets as Max flew by, gaining momentum and whooping and hollering wildly. A high-built road independent of the ground that passed with in feet of the building came up and Max jumped, landing so that his board was grinding on the high road's guard rail. Transformer cars and regular vehicles alike honked as they sped past him, but he only laughed as the high road tilted down to return to the artificial ground. He leaped from the guard rail to grind off the edge of a red truck parked on the side of the road, making them transform into a robot as they cried out in surprise and shock. Jumping off the truck, Max landed hard on a bus bench, ground on it, and landed on the white, paved sidewalk.

People jumped aside and shouted in annoyance as he sped by, grinding on the edge of the sidewalk and what ever bench he came upon. He jumped and spun and leaped off all sorts of street obstacles simply for the fun of it, cheering and laughing as people shouted at him to knock it off. He passed from ground to air to ground again with little to no stability or safety in any move what so ever.

Suddenly, a yellow Transformer moved in his path and he shouted in surprise as he collided smack into the front of the robot. He landed hard on his back end with a grunt as his skateboard flipped away and landed, wheels up, on the sidewalk near by.

"Jeez, man, watch where you park it--" Max snapped, but fell silent when he looked up (and up) into the face of the robot who stood, feet apart, arms crossed across their chest, and a scowl of disapproval on his face, small horns glinting in the sun light.

"Oh," he squeaked. "Hi, Pops."

The yellow Transformer growled as he hauled the boy to his feet by the back of his shirt before picking up the skateboard and going to the road, where he transformed into a little yellow punch buggy. Max heard people snickering and felt a flush rise in his cheeks. When would the old bot just update his alt form already? The punch buggy opened its passenger door.

"You are in _so_ much trouble, young man," Bumblebee warned.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Jess stared at her gun, a triple-barreled, thick-walled bazooka-cannon-laser-missile hybrid that she had invented herself and called Pointblank. It was dark green in color with golden rings painted around its muzzle tips. She had invented and conceived it with her father. The strawberry-blond girl with red freckles sprinkled across her peachy skin looked skyward with worried pale blue eyes. Her toes, clad in black flip-flops, twisted uneasily as her legs shifted in heavy cargo pants and her chest fluttered in a red tank top. Her father hadn't reported for two weeks now from his post in North Africa—where was he? Were the tribes down there suddenly attacking? Was he alive? Would she ever see him again? Would he show up on a surprise announcement during the birthday party that afternoon?

"Daddy, where are you?" she whispered.

"Hey, lady!" a red truck below her perch on the statue of Ironhide bellowed up. "Where is there a good paint shop? Some creep ruined my paint job with a skateboard trick. Hey, you! Blonde! I'm talking to you! Yeah, you! Where's a paint shop? Do you speak _English_, or are you some German chick? Hello? Hello--"

Jess rolled her eyes, then pointed Pointblank right down at the mech and pulled the trigger.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

"Are you _stupid_!? What the hell made you think you could jump from one high road to another!?"

"My jet thrusters," the crumbled up blue mech on the table in front of her squeaked.

"Well, because of that your jet thrusters are _way_ up your aft, idiot. Now, what do you have to say for yourself?"

"I'm really stupid for trying to jump from one high road to another."

"Thanks, Captain Obvious, what do you _really_ say?"

The mech hesitated, the gears in his dented metal head turning to find the proper answer. Thinking he found it, he spoke it aloud.

"I'm sorry, Ms. Anne, for doing something stupid and getting myself in the hospital. It was a really dumb thing and I promise never to do it on pain of death."

"Good boy. Poppa; you can take it from here."

"Sure, Anne," the red and white mech said, placing the fifteen year-old girl with short red and white streaked hair with large, almond-shaped cerulean eyes on the table beside the bed. "I taught her well, didn't I?" he said with a grin to his patient and nodding to Anne.

"Yes you did, Dr. Ratchet," the patient said sadly.

"Hey, Poppa, where're the Jacks?" Anne asked, picking up a book set on the bed side table and flipping through the mech diagrams with in. "They haven't been in for their weekly burn treatments yet."

"Busy; that's all _I_ need to know," Ratchet grunted, tearing a length of twisted steel from the mech patient's mangled legs. "Hopefully, they can keep themselves un-crispy until _after_ Benjamin comes home today and after the party. Have you ever considered getting new legs, Mr. Jumper?"

His patient wimpered negativly.

Saint Judy's Hospital intercom clicked to life, echoing through the hall ways and reaching into the room where Anne and Ratchet were repairing the reckless driving mech.

_"Uh, hey, guys? We got what I think—I think it's some sort of __truck Transformer__ in the lobby and I can't really tell if he's red or black or even has armor after what ever the hell fired on—wait, who did this?—Oh, I see. Clarification: Code Pointblank in the lobby."_

Ratchet and Anne exchanged looks and rolled their eyes and optics.

"Jess," they simply agreed, then resumed their work.


	2. Homecoming

**Disclaimer: I don't own Transformers, just the Efforts, Transport City and the story.**

**Chapter 2: Home Coming**

"Aw, come on, Pops, if Prowl takes Becky on patrol against the shits of the city, why can't I just pop an Ollie or a 360 Kick Flip on the high roads?" Max whined.

"First of all; watch your language," Bumblebee responded. "Secondly; Prowl only lets Becky on patrol because she's _guarding the city_ and has proved her _maturity_. And third; I'm not Prowl, and hence, I do not allow _my_ son to go and put his neck on the line just by doing some fancy tricks off a very dangerous, high place!"

"What happens if it's a low place, like a bus bench?

"No!"

The punch buggy approached an enormous sprawling complex on the most western coast of the city as they spoke. In between two enormous circle north and south wings, the east-facing complex had an enormous narrow tower leading forty human-sized stories up into the air, where it suddenly ended and a cupcake-shapped pent house for the best of the best of house guests stayed. In Transformer measurements, it was only twenty floors.

"Man, Pops," Max sighed, leaning back in his chair of the punch buggy. "You're no fun. I mean, you won't even update your alt form! Seriously, Bee, this little broken down rust bucket is just out of place in a _bad_ way in Transport City."

Now the punch buggy slowed as it passed by a gate, allowing it self to be recognized by scanners, before going down a tunnel into a below-ground parking garage.

"Hey, this 'little broken down rust bucket' is _me_! Also; don't call me 'Bee'—I'm your father and expect to be addressed as such."

"Father," Max muttered to himself. "If you call scraping some scrap off of you and sticking it into an incubator 'father'…"

The punch buggy suddenly stopped, tires screeching on pavement and throwing the sixteen year old hard against his seatbelt. The seatbelt snapped off of Max as the passenger door opened and Max scrambled out just as the car transformed, holding Max's skateboard in hand.

"Alright, Max," Bumblebee said in an annoyed, exasperated tone as he turned to the much shorter human-shaped boy. "I tried being reasonable with you, but you've been having an attitude for the past two weeks and I can't take it any more. You're grounded."

"_What??"_ Max yelled.

"You heard me!" Bumblebee said sternly. "No skateboarding or leaving the base for a week! You need an attitude adjustment, young man. Now…" He bounced the skateboard in one large metal hand. "I'll hold on to _this_ until your punishment period is over. I hate to do this, Max, but you left me no choice."

"No! Not Grind!" Max pleaded.

"Don't worry, it's only a week."

With that, Bumblebee transformed and sped out of the parking garage, skateboard hidden in punch buggy's trunk.

"Be careful with Grind!" Max called after him, using his skateboard's nickname.

"See you at the party, Max," Bumblebee called back before exiting the garage.

Josh, mean while, had watched the entire conversation from behind some parked cars near by on his bike. Once Bumblebee left, he came out of the shadows and leaned against the handlebars of his bike.

"Grounded?" he asked. "Man; that bites."

"I want Grind!" Max wailed, flinging his arms around Josh.

"I understand, Max, I understand," Josh said, gently patting him on the back. "By the way, Jazz is in town."

"Really?? Where?" Max asked, perking up immediately, "He's cool; he let me grind _everywhere_ in his condo in California when we visited last Christmas!"

"Southern docks," Josh replied. "He'll be here until March filming that one detective movie. You know, the one based off of—"

"Ooh! I _love_ that show! The girl detective is _smoking_ hot!"

"Nice to see your disposition as happy as your hair, Shorty," Josh laughed, ruffling Max's hair. "Isn't Benjamin coming home from school today for the birthday party?"

"Yeah! Let's go to the Landing Park, he's landing there! Then we can go to the main hall and have like, the raddest party around!"

"You didn't just say 'raddest'," Josh stated. "You _better not _have just said 'raddest'."He then went on, speaking about the Landing Park comment.

"Doesn't he always?" Josh asked, walking his bike through the garage along side Max. "It's sad, actually. While you guys get schooled here in the base and I get schooled out in the city with the rest of the kids, Benjamin's all the way on the other side of the world in some different military school every year! And with only a month and a half of vacation," he shook it head. "It's amazing that we're all still friends."

"Yeah, do you think it has anything to do with who his dad is?" Anne asked as she joined them on Josh's right so Max was on his left.

"Hey, Anne, when'd you get back from the hospital?" Max asked.

"Poppa dropped me off. He's gonna help set up the party with everyone else. I'm glad I didn't see you there today."

"And you won't for a while; Pops took Grind."

"Ouch," Anne said sympathetically.

"Serves you right; you can break over sixteen laws a _minute_ on that thing!" Becky said as she appeared from among the cars to join the line on Max's right.

"Really? _Cool_!" Max laughed.

"Don't encourage him," Josh warned. "So, Becky, is some of that heat from friction of getting here so fast or are you just hot?"

"Shut up, Josh," Becky growled. "Father dropped me off when he thought that the Lambo Twins couldn't handle setting up a party."

"Tell me, are you planning any cop stripper parties soon?" Josh went on. "You can call it _my_ birthday present."

"Say something like that again and Anne will be the _only_ one able to reattach your heart to your body," was Becky's come back.

"What's going on? Benjamin didn't land yet, did he?" Jess asked as she joined them on Anne's left.

"Nope, not yet," Josh replied, "How about you; anything from your dad?"

"No," Jess said sadly, shaking her head. "Daddy hasn't reported back yet."

"Wow, hope nothing happened to him," Max said.

"Guys, wait up!" Michelangelo exclaimed, running up behind them and slipping in between Max and Josh. "Whew, Dad tried dropping me off as close as he could before running a crew over to the moon, but boy, he needs to work on his tractor beam work—"

"Hey, Michelangelo," everyone said.

"Working on the Sistine Chapel yet, MJ?" Max asked.

"No," MJ replied without missing a beat. "I'm going to complete the David statue first."

"Oh, by the way, Jess; we got your _present_ at the hospital today," Anne interjected. "You know: the truck Transformer? He's stuck there for two weeks for major repairs. You're lucky he didn't get a good look at your face."

"Douche bag wouldn't shut up," Jess snorted. "And I have no regrets."

"I can think of _a lot_ of things to do to Becky that I'll never regret," Josh said slyly.

"Dude, I'm part human, part Transformer," Becky replied. "And you're _all_ human. That makes it official inter-species sex."

"Woha, hey, Beck, not so direct!" Max exclaimed.

"Oh dear," Michelangelo muttered.

"Come on, Beck, don't play the race card," Josh whined. "Can you blame me if your chemistry and mine make me hot? But not as hot as you—"

"Girls, please, a little help here?" Becky groaned.

"No," Anne said simply.

"I'm out of this," Jess said.

"What? Why?" Becky whined.

"I can't assist without putting some of us in my own Infarmery," Anne stated. "Except Michelangelo, who's an angel."

"Thanks," Michelangelo said, blushing.

"I got it for Max," Jess giggled.

"Josh, quick!" Max yelped, jumping on the back of Josh's bike. "Get me out of here!"

"See ya later, girls!" Josh laughed, jumping onto the bike and speeding off ahead of them through the enormous underground garage.

Michelangelo looked on either side of him and realized that, of Becky, Anne, and Jess, he was the only guy there.

"Wait for me!!" he shouted franticly, running after Max and Josh.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

A few minutes later, the kids were entering the Landing Park.

Set on the second floor of the Global Autobot Headquarters, the Landing Park was a small park on an enormous balcony over looking Transport City, complete with grass, trees and bushes, and white stone walkways with benches and a fountain in the center. There was a large expanse of white stone on the outer edge of the park and another expanse right against the building, acting as landing pads for small air and space craft. It was also a pleasant screen shot for the media when political leaders visited and were caught on media. A few birds that had found their way here from the city's parks or the mainland roosted in the branches, filling the park with nature's song as the distant sound of traffic could be heard like a sleeping dream's mutter.

"So there I am," Becky was saying as the kids took seats against trees, in the grass, and on stone benches. "Father and I are sitting out side of a convenience store, watching this guy shuffling around all nervous like he's got ants in his pants," she went on, uncharacteristically excited when it came to talking about her victories while on patrol.

"I tell Father, 'I bet you that he's about to steal something from the shelf and run for it'. Father tells me, no, he's going to try a direct cash register theft. I ask him 'you wanna bet?', and he says 'sure, what do you want to bet?' So I took a chance and say, 'If I'm right, then I get my own cruiser and start my own patrol, but if you're right, then I wax all the cruisers in the justice force.' "

"Don't tell me he took that," Jess said from where she was sitting cross-legged in the grass and polishing off Pointblank with a handkerchief from her back pocket.

"No, he didn't," Becky sighed. "But he promised me a new uniform when I was right."

"Ooh, something more _revealing_, I hope?" Josh joked.

"I will kill you," Becky promiced him.

"Oh, a new uniform to make your boring patrol look good," Max joked.

"Shut up, Max," Becky said, shaking a small fist at him. "Don't think I won't throw you in the jail!"

"Yeah, Max, they'd eatyou _alive_ in there," Anne said.

"That's true," Jess said, raising a hand. "Trust me. Daddy and I have gone there and it's true."

"No need to be brash," Michelangelo said.

As the kids were talking, a couple of Transformers and their human colleagues came out to Landing Park, some on their lunch break and others waiting for Benjamin's arrival back from military school in Germany. Many of them called a "Happy Birthday" over to the kids as they passed by.

"Hey, where're the Jacks?" Michelangelo asked, sitting up on his bench. "Aren't they going to be here for Benjamin's return?"

"The Jacks," Anne said slowly. "… are probably blowing stuff up right now."

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

**Meanwhile…**

_BOOM!!!!_

_Ee-ooh, ee-ooh, ee-ooh._ (Sirens screaming.)

"Oh, good Primus, get a fire extinguisher in here! _Get a fire extinguisher NOW!!_"

"Oh, man, it's gonna blow!!"

"Hit the deck!"

**Back to the others…**

**- - - - - - - - - - - -**

As if to agree with Anne, a distant boom sounded out and fire alarms started.

The other mechs and scientists in the Landing Park looked up at the boom, but only exchanged looks and simply agreed, "The Jacks."

"Fire in a city of pure metal and glass," Jess commented, looking down the barrel of Pointblank. "Only Wheeljack and Jack Turbine can do that."

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

As the fire extinguishing system sprayed water on the smoking insides of the laboratory, a white mech with a face mask over his lower face and large, half-circle fins on either side of his head and a black cap pulled himself to his knees. He used a table for support and leaned against the table as he panted heavily. His white, red and green paint job was darkened to grey, maroon, and dark, Christmas green by the soot covering his front frame, particularly around his face.

Beside him, a tiny human hand clad in a rubber glove and also covered with soot appeared, gripping the edge of the table before its owner hauled himself onto the table, gasping and wheezing. All one could tell was that this kid was young, male, and was completely and utterly covered in black soot, making him a silhouette on the silvery, scared lab table. He crawled onto the table then flopped onto his back, panting and coughing. His larger comrade narrowed his optics as his ear fins flickered in confusion.

"H-Hey," the robot panted. "Jack, how did you get up here without help? The table's over ten feet off the ground."

"Don't… ask… Wheeljack…" the boy panted.

His breath caught, the younger boy sat up and his black arms moved up to remove the goggles he had been wearing, pushing his already spiked hair even straighter as the goggles pushed against it. Beneath, twin circles of pink flesh around wide, hazel eyes made a stark contrast to the rest of the black body. Jack Turbine looked around and flashed a blindingly white, toothy grin up at the Autobot inventor.

"Well, at least we didn't blow up clear to the sky this time!" he said cheerfully.

Behind him, a part of the ceiling caved in and hit the floor, allowing golden beams of sun light to fall into the soot-covered lab. Wheeljack started to say something, but Jack Turbine stopped him by holding up a hand as he stood up.

"Don't," he warned. "Remember Murphy's Law."

Wheeljack nodded, then went to find a rag unmarred by soot to clean himself off with as Jack began to pat himself off, revealing pinkish peach skin and light brown, spiky hair. Soot flew off of the boy in a cloud of black and grey specks.

Meet Jack Turbine: Age thirteen and totally human. Originally raised in Florida, his parents sent him to boarding school at the age of eleven when his experiments continuously had the local fire department on their toes. Wheeljack was on a tour to the schools on the eastern US coast, warning children of fire and chemical hazards and how to avoid them (irony at its best), and was at Jack's school when, having snuck out to the chemistry lab to try his latest formulae, Jack accidentally blew the principle's car up. Don't ask.

Needless to say, Jack Turbine was about to be sent away to a correctional facility where hopefully _someone_ would get it into his head that it was _not_ okay to mix nitrogen and unstable elements together in search for a new fuel source. Wheeljack, though, saw this as a sign from Primus Himself and offered to take the boy in as his own apprentice. Had Optimus Prime not been on Cybertron in the middle of an important political meeting between the Transformer leaders, he would have surely objected because it goes without saying that an explosive advanced alien robot inventor with an explosive intelligent human American boy working together in the same lab would spell _bad news _in blood all over the sky.

But, seeing as how Wheeljack did it with no one to stop him around, he wound up finishing his anti-fire-and-chemical tour off in a jiffy before heading right back to Transport City with a rather elated, excited, and hyper Jack Turbine in tow. Everyone on base knew to stay as far away from their laboratories as possible when they were in them. One time, when the Jacks had warned that they were going to be doing some rough experimentation, _everyone_ evacuated the base. If the Jacks think it's rough, it's fatal to everyone else. The two had been working in the laboratories together ever sense and their discoveries were rivaled only by their destruction.

"Well, nice to see that _that_ didn't go exactly according to plan," Wheeljack said cheerfully, now dusted off, as he tossed his rag aside.

"Aw yeah," Jack replied, shaking the soot from his hair like a dog and batting at his lab coat a few more times. "I mean, who knew that if you expect the worst to happen, it doesn't happen?"

"I'm just glad that it didn't blow this wing of the headquarters off like we expected it to," Wheeljack replied, walking over to the table and holding a hand out for his apprentice, "Come on, let's get to the Landing Park; Benjamin is coming home soon. Then you know what's after that…"

"Birthday cake!" the two Jacks cheered in unison.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"Hey, there're our Jacks!" Jess called out upon the entrance of Wheeljack and Jack Turbine passed through the large doors of the building and into the sunny Landing Park.

"And they have all their fingers, too," Max chuckled, hanging upside down from a tree branch.

"What were you doing this time?" Michelangelo inquired.

"Making a pocket atom bomb?" Josh suggested.

"Better not be another _fuel_ formula," Becky said with a shudder.

"Yeah, I don't want to wind up reattaching one of Wheeljack's ear fins again" Anne added.

"Relax, guys," Jack Turbine said, hopping down from Wheeljack's hand, his beloved lab coat fluttering in the wind as he landed in a crouch. "Wheeljack and I are _way_ beyond that."

The other Efforts sighed in relief.

"Now we're working on explosive liquid bombs!"

_"What!?"_ the other Efforts yelled.

"Hey, here they come!" Wheeljack exclaimed, pointing a black hand to the sky.

Sure enough, an average-sized sleek, sharp black cruiser waxed to the point of looking like liquid metal was approaching the Landing Park. The people assembled in the park got to their feet, gathering on the edges of the outer landing pads as the cruiser came close enough to clearly make out the official military symbols for a German military academy. Its coat of arms was a pair of fierce dragons roaring at each other, their tails curled around a sword and a gun. That coat of arms changed every year as the student with in the craft always changed his schools to constantly get a new experience every year.

As the cruiser landed, a hush fell over the crowd and it took the Efforts varying degrees of strength to keep themselves from charging up to the craft. Max, particularly, tugged on the edge of his jacket, then up to his beanie, looking around for something to distract him as his lower lip was chewed in anxiety.

Finally, the ship landed gently on long, thin struts and its quiet engine hummed in a lower tone as it powered down. The side doors opened and a ramp was lowered. A duffle bag that would have other wise been carelessly thrown out so that its owner may exit the craft as quickly as possible was respectfully handed to its owner, who proceeded to salute the bad handler before turning on his heel and marching down the ramp.

The owner was sixteen year old Benjamin, a broad-shouldered, strong-bodied lad who appeared almost twenty. His face was chiseled and expressionless as stone and his rich, pure blue eyes did not waver. His thick-muscled body was clad in the black boots and dark green uniform of the military school he had attended this year. His buzz cut brown hair was hidden beneath a uniform cap that reminded one of a Marine.

He walked down the ramp and the cruiser carefully retracted its ramp as its doors slid shut before it lifted off and left impersonally. As it left, the leaves in the trees of the Landing Park rustled and everybody turned. A part of the small crowd split for the new comer. A towering red and blue mech passed through the trees and the parted crowd, looking down at Benjamin with seasoned blue optics. These optics sparkled in a smile as he knelt in front of Benjamin, holding his arms open.

"Welcome home, Benjamin," Optimus Prime said.

Benjamin smiled somewhat and hugged the Transformer.

"Hi, dad," he whispered.


	3. Birthday Party

**Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers, just the Efforts, story, and, if it doesn't exist somewhere in this tiny, pathetic world, Transport City**

**Chapter 3: Birthday Party**

Yeap, Benjamin, who looked like he was an adult, was really the sixteen year old son of Optimus Prime. The reunion with his father after yet another trying year in a foriegn military school was, as always, heart warming and everyone smiled happily as they saw Benjamin and Optimus hug; Optimus had gotten good at hugging tiny humans. Max, though, had noticed something when Benjamin's reaching arms near his Optimus Prime's shoulders and he saw that the tires set there were smoking just the tiniest bit.

"Aw, isn't that always heart warming, Max?" Michelangelo sighed.

He didn't get an answer.

"Max?" Michelangelo asked as he and the other Efforts turning to look at Max.

But Max was gone. He had already sprinted inside and was staring at the floor where fresh tire skid marks traced a hastily braked path right to the Landing Park's doors on the hard tile floor. Max smiled sadly, shaking his head. Optimus had almost been late to his own son's home arrival? Max admitted that it was, in his opinion, somewhat cold for Optimus to send his son to a different military school every year. He ignored the fact that it was so that Benjamin could get the best education around for war in case the Decepticons ever came back; Max didn't believe in such a thing. Optimus wasn't the cold type to almost deliberately miss his son's homecoming, though. It was work again, doubtlessly. Ever sense North Africa had dissolved all its governments, Optimus had had hell on his hands, trying to get proper Autobots distributed for the safety of tourists and press alike and trying to keep the peace so Nazi wannabes or Decepticon-supporters or what not wouldn't take over. True, North Africa was human territory, but all sorts of Transformer crooks were hiding there and thus it made it Optimus' business.

Well, in that case, Max could see the issue. After all, Bumblebee, his father, was always off all over the world as an ambassador, kissing babies here, talking peace there, and all around making sure that things stayed soft and nice. It was a life that made it rare for a father and son to have some time together…

"Wait," Max said aloud, his eyes widening as he looked up. "Wasn't Optimus supposed to be in a meeting with one of the Prime Ministers today?"

_Shh-k!_ _"Hey, Optimus! You left me hanging here, big guy, where are you? What kid? Who's Ben? Optimus? Hello?"_

Oh, yeah, just the Prime Minister of Paris, no big deal.

Following the voice, Max found a discarded Transformer-sized ear phone tossed aside on the floor. The C-shaped band of metal, plastic, and wire was large enough to go around Max's waist. Optimus had probably been in a phone conference with the minister until he realized that Benjamin was about to land and wound up tossing the phone aside to escape the annoying French man with good English. Around Max, doors were sliding up on either side of the hall in the walls and small, cone-shaped cleaning drones were coming out to clean the tire marks.

Kneeling down, Max pressed the input button, making the giant Blue Tooth device beep, and spoke into it.

"Yeah, Saint Pear?" Max said. "Max here."

_"Oh, you,"_ Sean Pierre said flatly. _"Where is Optimus?"_

"Yeah, he's gonna be busy for the rest of the day 'cause his son just got back from military school, so just, yeah, suck it up and wait, will ya? We're gonna be having a birthday party for the Efforts today."

_"Suck it up and wait??"_ the French Prime Minister exclaimed, falling into an enraged French dialect. _"Do you realize what we were talking about? We were talking about—"_

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, tell it to the cleaning drones," Max said

As the silver robots set their cleaning scrub brushes to the floor, squirting water and soap down to clean the floor up, Max slid the ear phone at one of the drones. Detecting that this was an item lying around with out use or owner, a couple of the drones picked up the ear phone and began to roll away, holding the device over their heads as they took it to report to the Lost and Found. It looked like they were cannibalistic tribe men taking the ear phone away to be cooked over a flaming fire; like the cartoons.

_"We were talking about rumored upsets in North Africa…!"_ Pierre yelled out, his voice fading as his ear piece was taken around a bend in the curved hall.

Laughing, Max dusted his hands off just as the drones finished their work, going back to their hidden cubby holes that proceeded to slide doors over them and the park doors opened, admitting the welcoming party. Benjamin was now on one of Optimus' shoulders, smiling and enjoying himself as everyone followed close behind. Max smiled up at the Effort and his father. No matter how many times Optimus sent his son off to military school, it was nice to see his face glow when Benjamin came back.

"To the birthday party!" Optimus declared happily.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

"Aw man, guys," Benjamin laughed, opening a can of soda. "You have no idea how great it is to be home. Who ever I meet in the military schools I might meet if we're ever at war, but you guys," He raised his can in a toast. "You guys are forever."

"To friendship!" Jess declared, raising her own can.

The other kids echoed and took swigs of their sodas.

It was seven o' clock and the Efforts, Josh Witwicky and Jack Turbine, and most of the on-base Autobots and human employees were in the main hall of the Global Autobot Headquarters where balloons and streamers had been set up for the birthday party. One of the five long tables had been set up with all sorts of food, both healthy and junk food alike, for the party. The balloons and streamers brightly colored up with pale grey walled, high-ceilinged hall and its grey linoleum tiled floor. Transformers sat at their own-sized tables, enjoying energon and stories with one another as the Efforts and their human friends enjoyed themselves.

Becky was wearing her new black police uniform, one of her birth day gifts from her father, and Max was hugging Grind, which Bumblebee had returned as a birthday present. But he was still grounded. Anne had gotten a new tool belt from her dad to help repair mechs at the hospital. Michelangelo had been given books about the famous artist of the same name as a joke and some romance books; his favorite. Jess received a can of gun polish and a new holster for Pointblank. Jack Turbine had been given a gas mask and a brand new, fire-proof lab coat, and finally, Benjamin had been given the most special gift of all: a black gun that could transform into a sword. Everyone had awed in jealousy at _that_ last bit.

Sixteen years ago to this day, a thing known as Project Smelting came to term and Becky, Michelangelo, Jess, Anne, Max, and Benjamin had been released from the incubators of Breaker Labs to be given to their fathers and raised as a sort of living, permanent bond between Transformer and human cultures. Breaker Labs had been deemed a very high and even personally close league of geniuses by the Autobots and were always welcome where ever Autobots were. It just a single detail on a long list of material thank you's the Autobots had given to the Breaker Labs for giving them children, along with pet robots, secrets to Transformer technology like cloaking devices and force fields, _many_ Transformer credits, or cash, and the ability to call on the Transformers for help any time. While it was somewhat surprising to find no Breaker Labs' representatives here today, their absence was respectively waved away; if they did not wish to be or could not be here, the Autobots would respect that decision. Usually, Breaker Laboratories representatives were always welcome to any special occasion of the Autobots.

Of course, when the Efforts were just babies, there had been more than one group of Transformers and humans who thought that it was a game of God to meld humans and Transformers together, usually religious folk. There had even been death threats against the children, making it final that they would be raised with in the comforting walls of the Global Autobot Headquarters. Fortunately, no mass effort was made to murder the Efforts and thus, while many people still grumbled about the Efforts' existence in some circles, no one raised a hand to harm them. Maybe it was because when one religious zealot tried to kill Benjamin in his crib, Optimus had broken their leg. Or maybe it was because Jess' daddy had gone on a shooting rampage when some Transformers wanted to kidnap and abandon her in some back-country parking lot. What ever the reason, the strange existence of the Autobots' fleshling children was allowed.

Sixteen years ago to this day, Josh Witwicky had been birthed into the world and Mrs. Witwicky had declared over-zealously (hyped up on pain killer drugs, was she), that her husband and the Autobots could be learning daddies together. In far less pleasant, welcomg terms.

One can imagine the awkwardness of that situation.

"Max," Michelangelo said, setting down his gift-given copy of _Gone with the Wind_ to tap Max on the shoulder, "You can put Grind down and join the conversation now."

"Shut up and go back to your romance-y, kissy-kissy novels," Max growled savagly.

"So, who's the most interesting person you met at _this_ school, Ben?" Jack Turbine asked.

"My field tactician teacher, I _swear_," Benjamin promised. "Reminded me of Blitzwing."

"No way!" Jess exclaimed, setting down her new brown leather gun holster.

"Way!" Benjamin laughed. "He wears this old-fashioned black German army uniform, claiming that it's a _winter uniform_, and the first day he marched into class, I swear to you, he said, 'destroy first, think later'; Blitzwing's motto!"

"Nuh-uh!" Becky gasped. "What did you do?"

"I spent the entire school year poking around with some of my class mates trying to find if he was somehow connected to the nut case," Benjamin replied. "Didn't find evidence of that, but we found that his so-many-great granddad was a Nazi close to Hitler and that several of his granddads have tried bringing the Nazi party to power sense. We think that he's going to try himself next year, but I'll be in a Japanese military school, so my classmates will have to call me long distance if they need my help stopping him."

"Not telling the adults, eh?" Josh asked, shaking a wooden puzzle box.

The puzzle box held the actual gift inside, and now Josh was trying to find out how to open it to get to the mysterious, tinkling item with in. Mr. and Mrs. Witwicky and Jazz frequently glanced over from their own table near by before exchanging grins.

"No," Benjamin replied, "Because we're not a hundred percent sure just yet."

"Hey, Ben," Max spoke up. "Speaking of next year and all, I was wondering if, possibly, you and I could just say 'screw it' and skip school this year."

Benjamin's eye brows grew closer together in confusion as he took a sip of his soda.

"What do you mean?" he asked. "Skip school, why?"

"Well, I'm just saying," Max said, yanking the tab off of his empty pop can and tossing the can aside while he examined his tab. "We're both smart enough to get around with out being noticed. We both know how to drive. And don't you want to see the world beyond Transport City and brick and barbed wire fences? Don't you want to go see a movie in some hick-town, or race down back country roads? Maybe get lost and have a little fun in a city _not_ run by Transformers? Hey, maybe even meet up with some random hot chick at a party and have a one night stand! You know, see the world!"

"But we can do that in the summer time," Benjamin said."I have a month before my Japanese school year starts—"

"No, no, no, no, _no_!" Max exclaimed. He glanced around, lowering his voice as he leaned towards Benjamin. "I mean we do this to escape your Primus-be-damned _military school_ and just _be a kid_ for once. A month just isn't enough for that kind of adventure. Come on, Ben, you haven't been a free boy sense you started military school at age eight! Every year, you're gone for months on end, stay for a few weeks then are gone again. I'm telling you, you should have played dumb and not shown how smart you were originally."

"But my education," Benjamin said shortly. "It is preparing me for my military career in the future."

"What career?" Max asked, dropping his pop tab and raising his hands in exasperation. "You never got a choice, Ben! Everyone saw your super high test scores, thought 'smart kid, military, bingo!' Come on, Ben, admit it: The military caught you up before your life began and now you're stuck on a rail because of it."

"The Decepticons might come back," Benjamin defended weakly.

"Yeah, and what are you supposed to do about it? No one's going to give you an army, you're too young! Come on, Ben," Max pleaded. "Don't waste your life on something you're never going to be happy doing, or are even going to do with something _worth while_. Skip the stupid school next year, and travel the world beyond the school walls."

There was a long, sober moment of silence among the kids. Everyone knew that Benjamin had a full intention of becoming a general when he grew up so that he could help lead forces against foes like the Decepticons, the hated enemy that his father had often told him about. Benjamin wanted to make sure that the cold, heartless monsters his dad described would never be resurrected from defeat. But the Decepticons were dead or in jail millions of miles away and the human nations were at peace along side their Transformer friends—what future did he have?

"Well I, for one, agree with Max," Josh said, breaking the silence.

"Y-You do?" Max asked Josh dumbly.

"Okay, I admit there's a few chinks," Josh said with a shrug. "Like where you're going to get the money to run away for the summer, how are you going to get around, what'll happen when the 'rents come after you, and what are you going to do if or when you come back, but I'm sure we can figure something out. On top of that, it's a stupid idea. But stupid ideas are what teenagers do to get hurt and grow up some. Come on, Ben, Max's right; you're sixteen and have spent half your life in _military_ school. You gotta cut loose, man. Cut loose and-- Hey! I got it!"

The wooden puzzle box finally clicked open, a door opening on the side. Everyone eagerly turned to stare as he pried at the lid and opened it up. Hearing Josh's triumphant exclamation, many of the older party attendants turned to see what was in the box. From the box, Josh pulled a pair of keys on a ring. Josh stared at it for a long moment, his jaw dropped open with his eyes wide.

"Dude…" Max whispered.

"A _car!?"_ Jess screeched.

Josh's friends instantly hailed Josh with questions while he jumped from his seat and eagerly hugged his parents.

"Oh man, oh man, oh man, thank you, thank you, thank you, _thank you_!" he babbled out to them, squeezing his parents gratefully. "Thank you so much you're so cool oh cool where is it what's the catch is it a clunker or new oh man THANK YOU!!"

"It's out front!" Mr. Witwicky laughed, "Go check it out!"

Josh bolted out of the main hall to go out side. From the main hall, there was an entrance straight ahead before going out to the entrance yard of the GAHQ. Three minutes later, he came back and screamed loud enough to make everyone in the building hear.

_"IT'S A MUSTANG!!!"_


	4. Joy Riding

**Disclaimer: I don't own Transformers, just the Efforts and story.**

**Chapter 4: Joy Riding**

By the time sun set began to turn the silver and blue Transport City into gold and red, a large, old, blue 1965 Mustang was roaring through the streets of the southeastern warehouse district. Inside were crowded the Efforts and their human friends, whooping and hollering excitedly as the metal beast, driven by Josh, scrambled over the pavement on rubber-clad claws before finding purchase and speeding off down another street.

"Who taught you how to drive!?" Anne screamed.

"The same guys we're visiting; the Lamborghini Twins!" Josh yelled back over the panicked screaming and the muscle car's engine.

"The Lambo Twins? Woo hoo!" Max cheered. He had completely ignored his "you're grounded" punishment and had come along for the ride.

"Didn't they get kicked out of the party for trying to spike the energon?" Michelangelo inquired.

"Yes," everyone replied.

"Where'd your parents get the car?" Becky asked, pushing her feet against the back left door as she leaned heavily against Max in the center of the back seat to brace herself.

"It's a sweet sixteen birthday gift some uncle in America helped them get. Cool guy, eh?"

"You got a car from some uncle you don't even _know_," Becky groaned. "I think this car's got _hot license plates_, if you know what I mean."

"Hey, Becky… shut up!" Josh yelled over the engine roar, suddenly throwing the car into a spin in the wide, abandoned street.

The kids screamed excitedly as smoke swept up around them from the tires and Becky began cussing Josh out in several cop codes.

"_Back off the hammer! Back off the hammer, you stupid--! 10-33! 10-33! Code 30! Code 30! Aw Primus and god, we're all gonna die!!"_

"Aw, jeez, Becky, lighten up!" Jess laughed.

"Y-Yeah!" Michelangelo chuckled as he was jostled against the window when Max pushed back against him. "Josh is okay!"

"Poppa's gonna be _so_ mad when we show up at the hospital later," Anne giggled in the passenger seat, which she was sharing with Jess.

"Babe, I don't go slower than this," Josh snickered.

The muscle car achieved one last tire-screaming turn into a large alley before slamming on its brakes, stopping with a bow in the wide, short alley that was the home of a paint shop. A single large garage equipped for paint jobs was right in front of them, with a small door in the wall to their right to admit customers. A metal canopy had been outfitted over the garage, decorated with nearly illegible graffiti that read _Sunny's and Sides' Paint Shop_. Sitting on their left was a red Transformer that was out sized by the yellow and black Transformer on their right. Both were well polished, male, middle aged, and grinned when the kids piled out of the Mustang.

"Well, well, well," the red Transformer said, reaching a hand out to Anne. "Look at what crawled into the ally, bro; a bunch of lost punks!"

"Who are you calling punk, broken knuckles?" Anne growled.

The red Transformer quickly with drew his hand, grinning uneasily.

"Nice to see you and your pops still share the same temper, Anne," he snickered. "So, Josh, want another paint job for that new clunker?"

"Nah, I like the blue," Josh said, patting it. "Isn't it cool? My parents got me a car!!"

"It's just a Mustang," the yellow Transformer snorted.

Anne and Jess instantly assaulted him for the bold statement. They _really_ like American made cars.

"I think it would look better in silver and black," Becky said.

"Don't bother," the yellow and black Transformer said with a distasteful grimace. "Silver and black are ugly colors on that model of car. Then again," he added with a shrug. "All Earth cars are ugly, so go for it."

"If they're so ugly, Sunstreaker" Jess said sitting on the edge of the roof of the Mustang, aiming Pointblank at the other Transformer, "Then why are you and Sideswipe keeping Lamborghini alt forms?"

" 'Cause they pick up femmes!" Sideswipe whooped, suddenly dropping down as his body shifted and revealing a Lamborghini in his place. "Chicks dig a fast, sleek car, man!"

"Please tell me you're talking about Transformer femmes," Becky said with a grimace.

"Trust me," Sunstreaker said with a glare to Sideswipe. "If Sides ever tried _extending_ his experience field, he'd find himself in the _scrapper_."

Sideswipe giggled nervously as he transformed back into his robot form.

"So, what brings you to our neck of the city?" he asked.

"Ben's home," Jack said with a grin as he elbowed Benjamin playfully.

"So he is," Sunstreaker said with a small smile. "Welcome back."

"Hello," Benjamin replied. "So, what now, guys?"

"Cards!" Jess whooped, drawing a thick, well-thumbed stack of cards held together by a rubber band from her back pocket.

"We can't play cards!" Sunstreaker whined. "The cards are way too tiny!"

Becky growled, "Benjamin deserves to be somewhere other than at HQ or military school and this was the only place we could come without getting in trouble."

"Jeez, Becky, don't be so snippy," Jack scolded as the cards were dealt out.

"Yeah, let Sunny take up that mantle," Josh said with a grin and a wink to Becky.

"Did-did you just _wink_ at me!?" Becky exclaimed, dropping her cards.

"Maybe," Josh said, leaning over and slyly peeking at Becky's cards. He barely managed to lean back in time to avoid a slap.

"Hoh boy," Jess muttered.

"Oh dear…" Michelangelo whimpered.

Josh leaped to his feet and Becky chased after him, running around and around the alley way as the others broke out in laughter.

"Come on, Beck, it was just a joke!" Josh exclaimed.

"You _never_ wink at me, young man! I am the daughter of Prowl, part Transformer, know _a lot_ of Transformers, got access to all _sorts_ of police forms, and am a member on the Transport City Police Force! You do _not_ wink at me, fiend!"

"Fiend? You know, add an 'R' in there and it's 'friend'."

"That's actually a good point," Michelangelo ventured quietly.

"Shut up or you're getting cuffed," Becky warned, skidding to a halt to turn and speak to Michelangelo.

"Hey, cuff _me_, babe!" Josh exclaimed.

"I could learn a lot from him," Sideswipe realized aloud.

Sunstreaker smacked him upside the head.

As he spoke, Josh slide over the hood of his Mustang… and kissed Becky on the cheek.

Sideswipe, Jack, Max, and Jess crowed in approval while Sunstreaker, Benjamin, and Anne shook their heads while Michelangelo, ever the shy type, blushed. Josh, mean while, took off down the street as Becky chased after him, screaming her wrath at him.

- - - - - - - - - - -

"Optimus?"

Optimus Prime turned away from the massive family portrait that he had been staring at to see Bumblebee standing in the door way of the large, round wreck room Optimus Prime was standing in. Large chairs for Transformers and smaller furniture, like doll toys, for humans sat around the enormous artificial fire place at one end of the room, acting as silent watchers to the two Transformers. A large plasma TV was mounted in the wall behind Optimus.

In front of him was a giant picture showing all the Transformers with their Efforts and the Witwicky family last year. Optimus had Benjamin, wearing a black military uniform, on his shoulder in the back and center of the picture.

Ironhide had Jess in jeans and a red-shouldered-and-trimmed tee-shirt thrown over his shoulder in front and to the right of Optimus.

Prowl was with Amethyst AKA: Becky, on the far right, standing with a police-uniformed Becky in front of him so he could have his hands on her shoulders as he smiled proudly.

Skyfire was kneeling with Michelangelo (dressed in his favorite red, white, and blue jump suit) sitting in his up-held palm in the back and the far right of the picture.

Wheeljack had lab coat, goggled, black rubber-gloves wearing Jack Turbine on his shoulder, in spite of Jack not being an Effort, in front and to the left of Optimus. Even though Jack wasn't an Effort, he was practically family anyway.

Left of Optimus, but behind Wheeljack, was Ratchet with Anne on his shoulders whilst wearing red scrubs, expressing a rare open smile.

In front of Wheeljack and Prowl and between them was Bumblebee with a squirming-looking, grinning Max held in his arms, bride-style. Max was wearing a yellow tee shirt with olive green cargo camouflage pants, dark green shoes, and a green bandana on his head and around his neck. Just to their left was the Witwicky family, with Josh in between them. Everyone was grinning foolishly and they all looked like they were so happy.

But back to the present, Optimus was standing in a dim rec./ family room with Bumblebee in the door way. For a moment, Optimus had a sense of de' ja' vu and felt like Bumblebee was about to tell him that another mech hadn't come back from a mission, or Decepticon activity had been spotted near some small town in the desert. And they weren't in European Transport City GAHQ, but back in the _Ark_ stuck under some volcanic mountain in western USA.

"Optimus?" Bumblebee repeated, and the mirage vanished.

"What is it, Bumblebee?" Optimus asked. He then joked, "Don't tell me Josh got in trouble with his new car already!"

Bumblebee opened his mouth, but nothing concerning "Decepticon" passed his metal lips.

"No, he's fine, but are _you_, sir?" he asked. "You seem kind of out of it ever sense Benjamin came in."

"Hmm? Oh, yes," Optimus said, glancing up at the family portrait before dropping his optics. "I'm just… worried, that's all."

"About what, Optimus?" Bumblebee asked, entering the room and sitting at one of the couches that were Transformer-sized. "Crime is low, people are content, and all the Decepticons are dead or in prison, sir. Even Megatron can't harm us from the grave!"

"That's what we thought before he came back as _Galvatron_," Optimus said with a shudder as he sat by Bumblebee. "But it isn't the Decepticons who are making me worried. It's Benjamin."

"Ben?" Bumblebee asked. "But he's a good kid, Optimus! What do you have to worry about?"

"It's just… he's growing up so fast and I just don't seem to have enough time with him," Optimus said sadly. "Every year when he comes back from school, he's grown _so much_. It's like the time and memories we could have or make are running right through my hands and I can't stop it…" He clenched his metal hands after looking at them. "I just-- I just want to have more time with him," he said, dropping his head into his hands.

"Well," Bumblebee suggested. "You could… let him stay in Transport City for school next year instead of some military school in a place that no one can pronounce. We're in a time of peace, anyway. The world doesn't need heroes, just…" His blue optics dimmed somewhat. "Just good dads."

"You seem troubled yourself, Bumblebee. What is the matter?" Optimus inquired.

"Oh, no- no, it's something. See, Max has been more… _disorderly_ than usual. Just today, I saw him go diving off the curved edge of the France Embassy Building and slide down one of the high roads on his skateboard, Grind! His stunts keep getting more and more dangerous lately and I had to ground him today. He didn't listen, of course, and went joy riding with Josh and the others. I'm worried about him."

"He's a teenager," Optimus assured. "Teenagers tend to do stupid, dangerous things for some excitement."

"I remember that when I was in that stage, I was just trying to avoid getting shot!"

"Speaking of 'shot', when was the last time Ironhide reported in from his station in North Africa?"

"Umm, two weeks, why?" Bumblebee said, pausing to flick through his mental records.

"Strange, Ironhide never misses a report. What is the situation in North Africa?"

"We're not too sure; communication has suddenly become much shorter and curt between ambassadors and the natives. We think some new tribe or government force has started rising to power there and either the locals want to handle it themselves or are being ordered by their new leader to keep silent. Hopefully, this new leader will be able to bring order to that poor, lawless hell hole."

"A new leader…?" Optimus asked.

Suddenly, an explosion sounded out, muffled by the walls and the furniture and portrait rattled on the floor and the wall with the vibrations of the impact. After a moment of silence, a click sounded and a meek Wheeljack spoke.

"_Sorry, that was me."_

Optimus and Bumblebee exchanged looks and began laughing. They kept laughing even when another explosion shook the building. They were both about to accuse Wheeljack of the explosion for humor's sake when the intercom system clicked to life again and the inventor's voice echoed through the halls, now not embarrassed but serious.

"_That wasn't me."_

Optimus Prime's and Bumblebee's laughter died as the female announcement program spoke.

"_Requesting emergency personnel to report to Landing Park; unidentified air craft has crashed in Landing Park…"_

Bumblebee's and Optimus' optics flared to life as they leaped to their feet, transforming into their Buggy and truck form before speeding out of the room.

- - - - - - - - - - -

Sunstreaker had Jess dangling by one leg high up off the ground in his hand as the others shouted playfully at them. Night had fallen, but the fun for them had simply gone on. Josh sat to the side, holding an ice pack over a new head lump over his left eye.

"Put me down! Put me down!" Jess was scream-laughing.

"What do you say?" Sunstreaker growled.

"That Sunstreaker's a the coolest, hottest Lamborghini with in galaxies of here," Jess said. "In spite of looking like a yellow scrap of a glitch."

"Hey!" Sunstreaker snarled. "I _will_ drop you, you little—"

A whistling sound cut him off and everyone looked up as the sound grew in volume. Suddenly, a smoking, blazing craft shot by over head, spinning and tumbling through the air before crashing into the GAHQ in the distance. They all stared at the small fireball as it landed on one of the enormous headquarters' park balconies, making a small tail of smoke that wagged lazily as it reached for the sky.

Suddenly, Becky's belt-clipped walkie talkie fizzed to life and Prowl's voice spoke to her from with in it.

"_Becky, find Jess and bring her to HQ. It's Ironhide; he's been shot."_


	5. Renewl of a Threat

**Disclaimer: I don't own Transformers, just the Efforts, Transport City, and the story.**

**Chapter 5: Renewl of a Threat**

Blackness and a numb pain, dulled by some sort of pain killer shock, were the first things Ironhide became aware of. Then he became aware of the fact that his heavily damaged right arm was stiff and heavy and covered in weld marks. A small shoulder shift revealed that he could still move it—the pain killer shock treatment had just made it partially paralyzed. Someone exclaimed something by him, but he was still slowly ascending from the dark Pit as his sensory systems slowly and reluctantly came back on line. He shifted his shoulders to shake the stiffness from him and someone jumped up, wrapping their arms around his neck.

"Daddy!"

The girl's voice made Ironhide's self-repair system chuck all the other systems aside for a moment to put his optics and vocal box back online _now_. Ironhide found himself laying flat on a table in a med bay. Optimus Prime and Prowl were by his bed and Jess was on one side of his head, kneeling by his head as she gratefully hugged his neck. Anne was on his other side, checking his vital signs, Ratchet was in the background, chasing Bumblebee, Sideswipe and Sunstreaker out of the med bay. Out in waiting room, Josh, Jack, Benjamin, Max, and Becky all waited expectantly with Bumblebee.

"Hey, girl," Ironhide whispered, his voice soft and slightly cracked from still starting up. He lifted a hand to gently cup the tiny human-bodied Effort. "How's my little cannon ball doing?"

"Daddy, what happened? Who did this to you??" Jess demanded, raising her head to look at Ironhide with tear-filled eyes. _"Who??"_

"Did anyone else survive in the craft?" Ironhide asked, looking up at Optimus and Prowl.

"A man by the name of Dr. Moriguchi," Prowl replied. "But he's been sleeping ever sense he gave his name. Ironhide… what happened?"

Ironhide held Jess to himself and sat up, ignoring Ratchet's and Anne's objections. Helpless to stop the weapons specialist, Ratchet adjusted the table's inclination so that Ironhide could sit up without effort. He gave Ironhide a stern glare and smacked him upside the head, but gently. Ironhide chuckled, placing one hand to his smacked head before turning to Optimus again, lowering both hands as Jess climbed onto his shoulder and began to gently stroke the weld marks in his right shoulder.

"My group and I were guarding the Breaker Labs defense base, like usual," Ironhide began.

"One night, a small tribe of Transformer crooks tried attacking us. My mechs and I fought them then chased them clear out of the Sahara—we were bored. When we got back, there were more guards and scientists at our base; most were banged up, but no one told us what had happened or where the new guys had came from. A new superior was appointed; Dr. Moriguchi, and he simply told us that a new tribe was trying to muscle itself into the Breaker Labs. He said that the humans had it under control, and I believed him." Ironhide snorted and shook his head. "Primus, I'm an idiot.

"I noticed that our supplies convoys were coming less and less. Also, more and more guards would go looking for something, but fewer would come back. I asked Moriguchi if he was _sure_ that Breaker Labs didn't require Autobot assistance, and he insisted that they were fine. We tried asking around with the locals, but some new gang had been destroying all the communications towers; it was like we were in the dark ages again.

"One night, a band of the guards came in with some one. Before I could even scan the person, they had hustled them down below into the labs and no-Autobot-territory. My mechs started getting nervous, but we were given no orders. I swear that I heard screaming down there. Around mid-morning, we were just guarding when we heard this sound and—"

Ironhide stopped short, his optics widening and glowing brightly in shock as something in him hummed. He dropped his head and gripped it with his hands, shaking it repeatedly.

"No, no, no," he muttered. "No, that can't be, they're dead!"

"Ironhide?" Optimus inquired, gently resting a hand on Ironhide's Jess-less left shoulder.

"I-I'm trying to remember what happened," Ironhide said, not looking at Optimus. "But what I'm seeing—what I'm _remembering_—it _can't_ be real! We put those slaggers on ice years ago!"

"Would you like us to run a direct memory diagnosis so that we may leave no room for error?" Ratchet inquired.

"Y-Yeah, that would be swell" Ironhide said. He was shivering now, which scared the other Autobots really bad; Ironhide was _not_ one to openly express fear.

"Okay," Ratchet said, nodding, before looking at Anne. "Anne, sweetie, get me some 4-3 cables from cabinet four, and some 2-1 connectors."

Nodding, Anne slid down the ladder between the floor and the high medical table, running over to climb up another ladder attached to a counter near by and going up another ladder from there to the cabinets. By the time Ratchet had dug out a Transformer-shoe box-sized box-like device from under the counter, Anne had brought out some coils of thin wiring (by Transformer standards) and their silver connecting studs.

Ratchet carried Anne and the cables and connectors on the box back to Ironhide's table. There, he connected the box and Ironhide together with the cables, plugging the cables into tiny sockets in the back of Ironhide's head. When it was plugged up, a circular part in one of the box's narrow ends opened up like a shuttered optic and began to glow blue.

"Alright, Ironhide," Ratchet said as he turned the glowing end of the box towards a barren part of the wall, casting a square of light on the blank expanse. "Just remember as it happened and we'll see what you saw."

Ironhide nodded then his optics dimmed as he closed them from sight. Jess clung to his cheek in the best comfort she could give as everyone stared at the blank white square. Prowl went to turn off the lights, motioning for the people in the waiting room to come in and watch, too. Primus knew that Ratchet would kill them later if they started asking questions later and kept Ironhide up at all hours for them. After a few minutes, blurry colors began sweeping past the screen, turning and tumbling over each other as they dance and begged for attention. They soon grew firm and heavy, settling down into a recognizable image.

They were looking at a desert made of high, steep orange sand dunes. In the foreground, large, dark rocks broke out of the sand like someone had dropped crumbled chocolate into the orange pudding. Everything was crystal clear, right down to the hyper-cruiser and scanners constantly sweeping the scene. On the far left and right, in Ironhide's corner of vision, there were two other mechs, facing away as they, too, looked out into the dawn-desert, like good mechs. The box started making sounds and for a moment, all the people in the room could hear the wind rustling over the sand. Then the mech on Ironhide's far right, a teenage lime green mech, turned to his two comrades.

"_Hey,"_ he said in the memory. _"If that's wind, then why's the sand not moving?"_

There was a sudden, frantic flash of images, all of Transformers in numerous forms and supporting a canine-like triangular Decepticon insignia. This was Ironhide's flashback with in the memory of war, and how he had heard this same whistling wind noise hundreds of times before an attack in the war. This "wind" noise was bad news.

The image on screen turned back to the desert scene. It swung away as Ironhide turned around and looked up. They looked up into a sapphire blue sky and caught a glimpse of dozens of black shapes crossing that blue expanse then something landed with a blast in front of the viewer. A whirl of images passed by, all of mechs fighting each other and humans trying their best to fight among them. Shots, both laser and missile, the sound of ripping and crunching metal and bones and the screams of dying mechs and humans alike filled the medical bay. The images weren't always clear, but one thing was always the same: The area around the attacking mech's insignia was glowing with attention. The insignia was that of the Decepticon.

Another series of images flashed by showing goofy-looking, young mechs—were these attackers just want-to-be's?

Then a flip had them back to the desert battle scene. Dark shapes were closing around Ironhide as he saw this and suddenly, the image froze. There was no wind, no sound, but only the image of the dark silhouette of a tall, long-legged mech with jet wings jutting from either side and two long cannons pointing out from his shoulders. In the silence, the shadows gradually lightened up to reveal a red and blue paint job with a black helmet.

In Ironhide's memory, standing over him was Starscream.

Ironhide, with his optics still dark and the image still on screen, lifted a hand, reaching back towards the cables in his head. Understanding, Anne and Ratchet removed the cables and the image winked out. There was a long, horrified moment of silence. This could not be, could it?

"I barely managed to get out of there," Ironhide said in the darkness. "There were nearly ten other escape craft, but all except mine were shot down. My craft was filled with soldiers, but so I've been told that only Mr. Moriguchi survived. I contacted the British Navy while flying here, but some Seekers shot off my communications antennae before I could say much. Those blasted fliers had me chasing circles all over the border of Europe and Asia before they let me come here before the engines blew out. You won't believe who the Seekers are."

No one spoke.

"Skywarp and Thundercracker."

A click sounded out and the lights came on, casting everyone in light, but not banishing the darkness coming into their hearts. They looked over at who had turned the lights on and saw it was Prowl. He took a deep breath through his nose, crossing his arms across his chest, and looked at everyone.

"So," he said. "Who vouches to be a bit _rough_ on Moriguchi to get answers?"

- - - - - - - - - - - -

Dr. Moriguchi was a man in his late fifties with brown eyes and black hair streaked with grey. His ordinarily neatly combed hair was released from its custom pony tail and his beard was starting to become disorderly. He found himself waking up in a hospital bed in a giant medical bay. He sat up, groaning and rubbing the fresh stitches on his right cheek that were remains of scars he had gotten there from when an electrical node had pierced his skin and came out the other side. Gruesome, to be sure, but at least it was going to make a roguish scar later in life.

He shivered in his hospital night gown and looked around at the colorless, empty Infarmery that had ridiculously high ceilings and wide corridors. Looking to the ceiling, he saw a tribal red face stamped across the ceiling and instantly recognized where he was.

_So,_ he thought. _We made it to the Autobot Global Headquarters, eh? I don't see any Breaker Lab men around me, so I guess they're gone. Pity, some of them were good with a gun. Uh oh, did Ironhide survive? Probably; he only had an arm shot. Oh, God, did he see the Efforts? Did he see…?_

He was unable to finish the sentence. In his mind's eye, he was watching flesh become metal and blood become energon as an entire battle froze to watch the spectacle. If that had truly happened and was not a trick of his damaged head… ! What discoveries he had just unlocked! He _had_ to get back to the Sahara Desert at all costs! He _had_ to capture that boy and reveal the benefits of this! Which countries would pay to have this home-grown soldier in their ranks? Who would kneel to him to have the secret to this biological weapon of mass destruction? Breaker Labs' main base as in England, so if he could get a ferry boat over there...

Dr. Moriguchi was pulled from his dreams of grandeur and his plans when he heard a door open. Turning, he saw a sixteen year old teenager with bright red freckles and strawberry blond curls stomping towards him with a large gun smacking at her hip. Behind her, entering the Infarmery, some more teenagers and a police cop Transformer followed at a brisk pace, but not brisk enough to get too close to the enraged-looking girl.

_Oh,_ Moriguchi thought. _It's just Jess_.

Sense the Autobots considered themselves friends of Breaker Labs for creating their children, Moriguchi came to the GAHQ every Christmas for their party for a week. He knew he had to act warm and friendly around these Efforts in order to keep up the façade. Wait, why was she so mad? Did they find out about the others?

"Jess!" he exclaimed, masking his wariness with distraught confusion as the teenager approached. "What's going on? Why am I here? Last thing I remember was—"

Jess shut him up with a harsh smack to his stitched face.

"Jess-!" Michelangelo hissed.

"Shut up, MJ," Jess growled to her audience, then grabbed the startled Moriguchi by the front of his gown and shook him.

"My daddy was attacked by Decepticons protecting your base," Jess told him. "And we're not talking some wannabes, either; we're talking about _the originals_ and the _real deal_, like _Starscream_ and _Skywarp_ and _Thundercracker_. I thought you bastards killed them after we Efforts were created, so you tell me this, Mr. Moriguchi…" She smacked him on the other cheek and thrust her face close to his. _"Why are the Decepticons running rampant and attacking my daddy!!??"_

_They weren't attacking your daddy,_ Moriguchi thought, remembering the astonishing transformation and who had done it. _They were rescuing one of their own._

Aloud, he said fearfully, "M-Miss Jess! I don't know what you're talking about! I was just coming out of the base for some fresh air and next thing I knew, I heard an explosion and your father was taking me into the escape pod!"

"Bull," Jess hissed. "According to him, _you_ were in the craft _first_. Tell me the truth, Moriguchi, because I am _mad_ right now because my _daddy_ almost _died_ out there!"

She began to draw a fist back.

"Jess!" Benjamin suddenly barked out in a voice filled with authority that made her freeze. "That's enough! Put him down."

Jess hesitated, glaring into Moriguchi's brown eyes.

"Jess," Benjamin growled.

Jess's fingers slowly uncurled, letting Moriguchi sit back down on his bed. Turning on her heels, she stomped back to Benjamin, turning again when she was at his side to glare at Moriguchi some more.

"Children, please leave," Prowl told them. "It's getting late, and I need to speak with Dr. Moriguchi _alone_."

"Don't be afraid to play Bad Cop, Prowl," Jess said, shooting one last glare at Dr. Moriguchi before leaving.

- - - - - - - - - - -

"This isn't possible!" Michelangelo whimpered, pacing the room. "I mean—the humans _killed_ them all, right? Didn't Breaker Labs personally finish the elite soldiers, like S-S-S-Star—like _them_ off?"

"I don't think so," Jess said.

"Why?" Josh asked.

"Because," Jess snapped. "Why else would Starscream be around to shoot Daddy?"

"She's got a point," Jack said. "I mean, no one was ever showed the death of the Decepticon Elites. But if they _were_ killed, perhaps they were resurrected with some sort of Spark recreation device…"

"I knew this would happen," Benjamin sighed, closing his eyes and shaking his head. "I _knew_ that the Decepticons would come back; something deep in side of me said so."

Max slammed his can of soda down on the counter. Everyone in the arcade room looked up at him.

"Damnit, why does life do this??" Max yelled, turning to his friends with his blue eyes sparking angrily. "Just when you think you got it figured out—when things look right—life throws a curve ball like _this_! We were going to run away and have an adventure together, then the Decepti-_freaks_ come back and now we're stuck again. Benjamin—you _do_ realize that no one is going to give you troops, right?"

"I understand, Max," Benjamin said softly, approaching Max. "Just as I understand that you are upset about the Decepticons' return. But let's wait—perhaps the forces that attacked the base are wannabes with look a-likes leading them?"

"No, there're no look a-likes," Josh said with a sigh, shaking his head. "Ironhide would never mix up the enemies he fought for eons with some _punks."_

"This is true," Becky agreed.

"Hey, you acknowledged my sentience!" Josh said happily.

"If freedom is a right to all sentient beings, you belong in jail," Becky hissed.

"How about on a leash?" MJ suggested.

"Don't encourage him," Becky warned.

"So, what does this mean for us?" Anne asked. "I know this means a possible return to the front lines for our fathers and their troops, and evacuation for the humans, but what about us, the hybrids caught in between? We're the Autobots' kids; we could be used as leverage."

"If I think anything like my father," Benjamin suggested. "He will have us all sent away in secret to a secure base in some secluded place for protection."

"Can Jack and I come with you?" Josh asked eagerly.

"I doubt it," Benjamin replied. "You have a family who has a history of being kidnapped by Decepticons, and Jack is too young. He _might_ get on the front lines if Wheeljack insists on keeping him at his side, but he might just be shipped back to his parents."

"Aw man," Jack whined. "Back to stale pasta dinners and fire men scolding me about the hydro-chemical compounds in the pool."

"I-I'll have to leave?" Josh said sadly.

"Only if the situation becomes serious," Benjamin noted. "But in case it _should_ become that serious; be strong, Josh. We will meet again one day."

Anne yawned and Jack stretched.

"Well," Max said. "Let's see, racing in a couple of sentient multi-million dollar Lamborghinis to the base when Jess's old man crashes into it in a fiery ball of glory, expectations for a second Autobot-Decepticon War and the beginnings of a mystery with in Breaker Labs…"

Max was silent for several moments then he shrugged and pulled Grind from its harness strapped to his back.

"I'm going to do some tricks off the roof," he said, leaving the room. "Don't come for me if I fall off of it."


	6. Ambush

**Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers; just the Efforts, Transport City, and the story.**

**Chapter 6: Ambush**

The top of the Global Autobot Headquarters was nearly fifty stories about sea level. Its very top most point had a cup cake-shaped penthouse with large, bomb-proof glass windows and spacious furniture with in. It was a place meant for guests of honors, like political world leaders and Breaker Laboratory agents. The penthouse was large enough to house a couple Transformers and multiple humans. Around it was a wide expanse of flat roof. To the west the roof dropped down to look at the ground park that the GAHQ circled around. To the north and south the roof dropped down shortly onto the roofs of the north and south wings and was round-cornered to dip down into the roof. The eastern edge of the roof simply dropped off all the way to the entrance yard on the front of the headquarters. The entire roof space was around forty feet by forty feet.

Now Max continuously slid on the roof edge of the cupcake glass penthouse on Grind. Anne and Jess sat on the southern edge of the roof, having got there by climbing out of the pent house's windows, Benjamin and Josh were in the pent house, and Becky and Michelangelo watched Max. Jack was in the pent house sitting on the living room couch was he fiddled with a hand-held computer, trying to do something to it.

"Um, Jack?" Josh told the younger boy. "If that thing blows up in here, you realize that you'll have to explain to Mr. Prime why the Prime Minister of England has to stay in a hotel next month, right?"

Jack grunted as he flipped the black hand-held computer over and began to unscrew the back of it.

"Josh? May I have a word with you?" Benjamin asked Josh quietly.

Josh nodded and followed Benjamin over to one of the windows. They looked up as a crunching sound of wood on metal slid by over head and they heard a small whoop as Max slid by on yet another complete circle of the penthouse roof.

"He has good balance," Benjamin commented.

"Yeah, that he does," Josh agreed. "He managed to circle this thing thirty-six times last week. I think he's trying to break the record."

"Impressive," Benjamin stated. "It's strange that he hasn't broken his skateboard yet."

"You defiantly can't see the graphic on it any more."

Benjamin hummed in agreement and, after a moment, he turned and looked at Josh.

"How has Max been lately?" he asked.

"Worse," Josh replied. "He's grounded for sliding down curved side of the French Embassy this morning and Bumblebee almost took Grind away. He keeps doing dumber and dumber stunts and I'm worried that he's going to loose his balance one of these days and fall off a roof _on accident_ or something."

"Hmm, I was hoping he'd out grow this mode of attention grabbing, but that's not going to happen any time soon, is he?"

"No, he's not," Josh sighed. "Well, on the bright side…"

Max jumped up and spun around during his grinding ring over head, whooping as he did a complete 360 and continued to wear down the edges of the penthouse roof.

"He's got very good balance," Josh said with a dumb smile, repeating what had been said earlier.

Outside, Anne glanced over her shoulder at Max, then at Jess. Jess saw her looking, then looked at Max before looking back at Anne. She rolled her eyes as her shoulders slumped in agitation.

"Oh come _on_, Ann!" she groaned.

"Everyone knows that he's had a crush on you ever sense you were three," Anne said. "Come on! He's upset about the whole Decepticon thing ruining his chance of running away with Ben. Talk to him, chill him out."

"Fine, but you _owe_ me, Anne," Jess warned, standing up.

"Just remind me of that next time I want to rip your arm off for using Pointblank on an unsuspecting victim again," Anne chuckled.

"Oye, Max!" Jess called out. "Get down here! I wanna talk to you."

Max leaped from the penthouse roof and landed on the roof beside Jess, spinning around on Grind before stopping. He stepped off of the skateboard and stomped down on its end, flipping it up into his hand before he slid it back into its harness on his back, doing it all in one swift, professional motion.

"What's up, Jess?" he asked, slightly out of breath.

"What is _with_ you lately?" Jess asked, smacking him upside his head. "You keep doing dumb tricks off of high, dangerous places, not to mention it looks like you want to round off the sharp edges of the penthouse's roof."

"I'm making it child-friendly?" Max said, shrugging cheerfully.

"Yeah, right, come on, Max, what's going on?"

"Well, duh, the Decepticons are back and Benjamin's being a military man again and is gonna waste his life away waiting to command troops no one will give him."

Jess stared at him for a long time and he shrugged and defended, "What? Can you blame a brother for worrying about his friend wasting his childhood away?"

"You know what your problem is, Max?" Jess asked. She pushed down on his head, making him shrink some what. "You're a little guy…" She took her hands off and raised them in show. "With a big attitude…" She punched him in the shoulder, "And an even bigger exaggerator!"

"Hey!" Max laughed as he swatted at her.

"Oh, look," Josh commented as he and Benjamin watched from with in the penthouse, "It looks like Jess has calmed Max down."

"Thank Primus," Benjamin said with a small smile. "I would hate to see _that _bee sting if someone didn't talk him down."

But Josh didn't hear him. He was suddenly aware of some sort of hum or whistle in the air beyond human hearing. It was like the silent noise a TV gives off when it's on. Benjamin heard it, too, and looked around. Outside, Max's and Jess's play-fight ended as they, too, heard the weird noise. Everyone except MJ and Jack seemed to notice it.

Then they were ambushed.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

A small _poof_ noise sounded out and a large black puff of smoke appeared over Becky's head. From it jumped a tall, thin-limbed young man with silky lavender hair bound up in a small pony tail wearing jeans and a white long-sleeved shirt under a brown vest and wearing dark sunglasses. One of his booted feet struck Becky in the back and they went down in a tangle of limbs. Becky cursed loudly, kicking the young man off of her and jumping to her feet, fists clenched and ready to fight. She spun around and swung a leg up, kicking her attacker in the face, but he ducked back and they fought.

"Becky!" Michelangelo yelled, jumping into the fight.

Before Becky or MJ could act, the lavender-haired boy spun around and used the same move Becky had just tried on him to kick MJ in the head, knocking him on his side and onto the roof top, unconscious. Becky turned back to the attacker, looking him up and down for weaknesses as she circled him, trying to find an opening in his superb fighting techniques.

Even as Becky and her attacker began to fight, another black puff of smoke appeared over Max and Jess and a boy, younger than them by a year or two, fell down on them, knocking them both out with a skillful knee to the back of their heads. He landed in a crouching position before standing up. He was pale and dressed in dark blue jeans, blue sneakers, and a tight-sleeved navy blue jacket with silver patches on the elbows and knees and lining the hems of the sleeves and the zipper down the front. He wore a dark blue turtleneck sweater under the jacket and had the turtleneck pulled up around his nose and covering the lower half of his face while a red visor hid his eyes. He turned his blue-haired head and swung around to face Anne, who, by this time, had managed to get to her feet and was staring in shock at the growing fight.

Anne's face twisted up in an angry snarl and from her new belt of tools, she drew a wrench.

"Oh you are _so_ going to the critical condition ward!" she snarled.

The boy raised one of his gloved hands and twitched his fingers towards himself in a mute "come" gesture. Anne came.

She soon wished she hadn't.

She had darted towards him, hoping to send his head out for a homerun hit with her wrench, but he ducked down, placing his hands on her abdomen, and flipped her high over his head with amazing strength. Anne landed hard on her back, loosing her wind with a thump.

"Oh, this is gonna suck," she coughed.

In the penthouse, Benjamin, Josh, and Jack all watched with dropped jaws. This attack was completely random and out of left field for them. Who were these kids? How were they getting here? Who taught them how to fight, and, above all, why were they attacking _them_?

A _poof_ sounded behind them and they turned to see black smoke bleeding into the air. Standing in the middle of the living room was a young man dressed in a silvery grey over coat with a matching fedora. The young man's face was hidden in the shadows of the fedora, but Benjamin could feel his eyes on him.

"Josh, go out and help Becky and Anne. Jack, go get help," Benjamin ordered. "I'll handle this whack job."

Josh and Jack obeyed; Josh slid open one of the living room's large windows and jumped out. Jack followed, turning on his hand-held computer. Benjamin and the other boy stared at each other for several seconds. When they began to move, they did so at the same time to circle each other. Suddenly, Benjamin jumped forward and swung a left fist at his opponent. The other young man easily dodged it as swift and fluidly as a snake. He knew what he was doing.

"Who are you?" Benjamin asked as they continued circling each other. "Why are you attacking my friends?"

The other man didn't reply. He had his back to the couch when he moved. Kneeling and coming forward, the other boy seized the back of Benjamin's left leg and the other hand snaked under his foot. The man shoved up as he stood, expressing amazing strength as he flipped the 120-pounds-of-muscle Benjamin over his head. Benjamin flipped through the air before landing on his back upside down on the couch. Before Benjamin could recover, the other boy jumped up and landed with his elbow in Benjamin's gut, removing the wind from him.

"Distract opponent with blows and tackle them…" Benjamin coughed as he punched the other boy twice in the face before shoving him off and pouncing on him. The other young man didn't seem to notice the blows.

"You mutter while you fight, do you realize that?" the opponent asked. "That's not very good when you _don't_ want you opponent to realize what your next move is."

The other person rolled over and leaped to his feet, barely avoiding Benjamin. While Benjamin was still on his fours on the floor, the other boy kicked at Benjamin. Benjamin leaned back, avoiding the booted foot, and seized it, pulling on it so that the boy lost his footing and spun around in the air before landing hard on his stomach. Benjamin kept a hold on the foot while his own foot reached back and pushed itself against his opponent's neck. Now they were facing opposite directions with Benjamin having a boot on the opponent's neck and holding a leg up and the opponent was on his belly.

"You've been trained well," the opponent stated, "In spite of your talking to yourself."

"Who are you?" Benjamin asked.

That was when the silvery grey overcoat boy slid out from under Benjamin, getting into a handstand before slamming his feet back down on Benjamin. The boots knocked hard against Benjamin's head and he fell forward, smacking his forehead on the coffee table and scrapping some skin open. The opponent sprung up from his hands, landed on his feet, and turned to Benjamin, hands clenched.

"My orders are simple," the person stated. "My team and I are to insure that the Autobots know who is coming. My name is Mextron, Autobot Effort Benjamin, and I want you to make sure that the Autobots know that the Decepticons are back."

Benjamin turned over and his eyes widened in shock when he saw a pair of red eyes glowing out at him from the shadowy face of his attacker.

"I hope that your Efforts and mine may meet each other under less unpleasant circumstances on a later date. Until then," The person saluted. "I wish you luck."

A puff of black smoke appeared behind Mextron, enveloped him, and disappeared.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

When Josh and Jack had jumped out of the living room window onto the roof, Josh had run towards Becky and her opponent.

"Call the Autobots!" he told Jack.

"Trying, but something's bugging my computer," Jack muttered. Sure enough, his computer's small screen was flickering with static.

"Then go talk to them directly!!" Josh yelled at him.

"Wait, you mean, _walking_?" Jack exclaimed dumbly.

Jack was forced to turn his attention away from where Becky and Josh were gaining on the lavender-haired boy when the blue-haired boy snatched Jack's computer from his hand.

"Hey!" Jack yelled pathetically. "That's mine!"

Jack failed to notice the blue-haired boy slip the computer up one sleeve and take one identical to it out of the other as he turned his attention back to Anne. Anne had a hand on her slightly aching ribs and was glaring at the boy with murder. Jack himself flinched away when he saw the hate and anger in her eyes. Apparently, it got to the blue-haired boy, too, as he shrugged apologetically.

"Oh get over here and take it like a man, jock," Anne snarled. She drew a hand-held electric buzz saw from her tool belt. When she could use an electric buzz saw in her line or work was undetermined; probably a joke between her and Ratchet about removing limbs.

The blue-haired boy tilted his head to the side and the buzz saw spat some sparks before starting up in Anne's hand without her bidding. It jerked in her hand and she cried out in surprise as it yanked itself from her hand and hovered in the air in front of her. The boy tilted his head forward and the buzz saw shot forward to hover with mere inches between Anne's forehead and the spinning, glistening blade. A cold sweat broke out on Anne's face as she backed away slowly from the possessed tool. Her wrench fell from her limp hand as she backed away, almost all the way to the roof. If the buzz saw didn't open her up like a victim in a teenager gore-and-guts film, she would fall off the roof and become a raspberry-colored pancake.

That was when a loud, low boom sounded out and the blue-haired boy was knocked off his feet by a gun blast to the side. Jess was sitting up, Pointblank drawn and aimed at the blue boy. The blue haired boy sat up and he and Jess made eye contact. The blue boy seemed to freeze, hypnotized by what he saw. Jess kept her eyes fixed on him, ready to squeeze off another shot if he made another move. Max turned over onto his back and put his hands to his head as he woke up.

"Ugh, did Anne go psycho finally and hit me?" he groaned.

Then the pause between the blue haired attacker and Jess was broken as Jack Turbine crept over, pick up Anne's wrench….

And hit him on the back of the head.

The blue haired boy's head didn't even jerk to signify that it recognized the impact. He slowly turned his head towards Jack and Jack felt daggers coming from the eyes behind the visor. Jack felt his intestines cling to his stomach and realized that he had just did something very bad.

The blue-based boy stood up and turned to Jack, the stiffness in his shoulders revealing exactly how serious he was. Was he mad? Jack hoped so; it would be better than an emotionless homicidal rampage.

"Hey, blue jerk! Over here!" Jess yelled, jumping to her feet and aiming Pointblank at the boy. She pulled off a trigger and the blue haired boy stumbled slightly. Jess smirked in triumph for a moment, but her eyes widened in surprise as the blue haired boy turned around and faced her, unharmed.

"H-Hey," she said weakly, "You-you're not bleeding. I-I shot you!"

The blue-haired boy spread his arms in a sweeping gesture similar to "ta-daa".

Anne raised her arms and gasped as she looked down at her belt. From her belt all her tools flew from their loops, turning on drills and mini welders and spinning scalpels in the air as they flew through the air towards Jack. The buzz saw threatening her life followed the cloud.

"Aw _crap_!" Jack screamed, dropping the wrench and running. The wrench floated up to join the cloud of blood-thirsting tools before it even hit the roof.

Jess got over her shock and began to shoot wildly at the blue-haired boy and at the cloud of homicidal tools following Jack all over the roof. Anne walked over to join Jess, her fists slowly clenching in her almost trademark sign of terror-creating-anger to be. As she passed Max, she bent over and yanked Grind from his back harness in one smooth gesture. She stopped, though, when Max grabbed her ankle before leaping to his feet and taking back Grind.

"Woha, woha, woha, no taking the skateboard, girl!" he exclaimed. "You don't know how to use it. Here; allow me to show you."

Running up to the penthouse, Max threw Grind on the ground and shoved his foot off the ground to gain momentum. Then he jumped up onto the penthouse wall, scratching bomb-proof glass windows as he went by them and wall rode to the roof. From there he ground on the edge of the roof before jumping off just as he came upon the fight between the lavender-haired boy, Becky, and Josh. Becky and Josh saw him coming and ducked.

Max landed squarely on top of the lavender-haired boy's head, knocking him onto his back with a blow that would have cracked the skull of any regular person but only seemed to daze him. As it were, as Max sped back around the roof to Jack, the lavender-haired boy sat up, rubbing the side of his head as he glared after Max.

"Smartmouth," he said to no one in particular. "Take care of the wall rider, will you?"

Max skidded to a halt in front of Jack. As Jack ran by, Max flipped over into a one-hand hand stand while the other held Grind to his feet. As the small cloud of homicidal floating tools zipped by him, he swung his feet and Grind in a way that swatted all the tools out of the air, sending them clattering to the roof, against the pent house wall, and even off the edge of the roof. Jack skidded to a halt, watching the spectacle over his shoulder.

"Wow!" he exclaimed. "Nice moves, Max!"

"Who says a wall rider can't fight?" Max laughed, flipping back over to his feet and tilting his chin up proudly.

Back with the lavender-haired boy, he was back on his feet and fighting Josh and Becky, easily dodging blows as he continued speaking to himself.

"What do you mean you're too busy looking for Moriguchi?" He said to no one in particular. "Get over here and help out a little!"

"Who's he talking to?" Becky asked Josh.

"I have no idea," Josh admitted, kicking at the shin of their opponent. "But what would this 'Smartmouth' want with the good doctor?"

Their opponent easily jumped over Josh's kick and actually came down on Josh, pinning him to the ground as he landed on top of him.

"Smartmouth would like you to know that if you honestly think that Moriguchi is a 'good doctor'," the lavender-haired young man informed, "then you are sorely mistaken."

He sat up and looked skyward, as if hearing something they couldn't. He ducked one of Becky's feet as she attempted to knock his head off of his shoulders with it.

"Shadowleap!" he yelled. "Time's up; we gotta scram!"

A puff of black smoke appeared and enveloped him. When the smoke cleared, he had disappeared.

Across the pent house, the blue-haired boy stopped dodging shots from Jess and thrown punches from Anne, dropping the replaced hand-held computer as the same black puff of smoke enveloped him.

A moment later, the bruised and panting kids stood on the roof with no sign of their attackers.

"Well," Anne panted. "That _sucked."_

**AN: Tell me what ya think! :D**


	7. Not Such Good Friends

**Disclaimer: I don't own Transformers, just the story.**

**Chapter 7: Not-Such-Good Friends**

"Jazz is reporting for duty, sir!"

Optimus Prime turned around from where he was watching Ironhide in recharge mode (Ratchet was near by, glaring at Optimus to make sure he didn't do anything to stop Ironhide's recharge), and found the visor-wearing Autobot standing behind him, saluting. The usually smiling face was now grim and serious.

"Jazz?" Optimus asked. "I heard that you were in town for a movie. How are you?"

"Josh called me about what happened on his way out. I'm here reporting for duty. The movie can wait."

"Do your producers understand?"

"They're humans; I'm a large sentient transforming alien robot with enough weaponry lying dormant in him to level their entire set. I'm sure they understand," Jazz said, cracking a smile.

"_There's_ the Jazz we all know and love," Optimus said, smiling him self beneath his face mask.

"Dad! Dad! Dad!" Benjamin yelled, running into the Infarmery with the other Efforts on his heels. Jack Turbine and Max were carrying a still-unconscious MJ between them and Anne and Jess followed behind them. Becky followed at a calmer pace, holding a slab of cold meat to her right eye. All were bruised or cut somewhere on their person. Jazz, Optimus, and Ratchet all jerked noticeably in surprise at their condition.

"Kids! What happened to you?" Ratchet exclaimed, kneeling. "Anne, my little surgeon, my scanners see cracked ribs on you!"

"We were attacked on the penthouse roof," Benjamin reported as Optimus picked him up and set him on an empty Transformer bed.

The kids told the Autobots about their ambush as their wounds were cleaned up and tended to. The worst injuries were Benjamin's head cut and MJ's concussion.

"Well, depending on your lack of serious wounds," Ratchet commented, helping MJ sit up once he had been revived. "They were not meaning serious harm just yet, which we can be grateful for."

"But they're with the _Decepticons_," Jazz pointed out. "And they got powers! This can _not_ end well."

"I think," Optimus said, standing up straighter and squaring his shoulders. "That it's time we become a little sterner with our guest, Dr. Moriguchi, and draw out his secrets before anyone is seriously hurt."

"If anyone's going to be seriously hurt," Ironhide growled, announcing that he had been awake for the whole conversation. "It's going to be the _Blue Man freak_ for kneeing my daughter in the back of the head."

"Oh, this can not end well _at all_," Josh muttered in agreement with Jazz.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

"Mr. Moriguchi," Prowl was telling the human as he sat by the human's bed, "I understand your story perfectly; tribe wars banning you from your home, Decepticon wannabes attacking, yes, yes, yes."

"Then what's the problem?" Moriguchi whined.

"Sir, with all do respect, and using a human phrase, that's totally bull shit. Ironhide clearly saw _Starscream_ and his _Seekers_ shoot his escaping craft down just out side of Transport City radar range, and trust me, Ironhide would _never_ mistake otherside. Sir, please, if you want us to help you, you _must_ tell us the truth!"

"I have been!" Moriguchi exclaimed.

"If you have, then why did you fail to mention the other children?" Optimus Prime asked, entering the med-bay.

"What?" Prowl asked, his optics flashing in surprise as he partially stood up.

"Tonight," Optimus recounted, "a band of human youth with unusual powers and fighting abilities attacked the Autobots' children while delivering a message that the Decepticons _are_ coming. One of then said something in question of your honor. Dr. Moriguchi; _please_ start telling the whole, entire, unmarred truth before I begin to loose my patients. It's one thing to have one of my mechs harmed by your idiocy, but having our children harmed is an entire thing all together. So please, Mr. Moriguchi," Optimus Prime knelt in front of the bed and leaned over it, blue optics blazing in warning as his shadow was cast over the tiny human. "Tell us the truth."

Moriguchi stared up at Optimus Prime for a long time before speaking slowly with his eyes still level and steady as they looked into Optimus' optics.

"You can't handle it."

_You have to hand it to them,_ Optimus thought in the back of his mind. _Humans do not know their borders._

"Moriguchi," Prowl said, gritting his teeth. "Our patients is running thin. _What_ was Breaker Labs _really_ doing out there in the Sahara Desert?"

"You're a bunch of idiots, you know that?" Moriguchi went on coldly. "You think that we _really_ got the perfect formula for Transformer-human off spring after forty years of careful planning and then we stick the plans in a machine and out pops a kid? No, it took _dozens,_ perhaps _hundreds_ of formulas, combinations, time sequences, and methods to make those kids you call your own Sparklings. And even once we started getting the embryo going, things would happen to complicate and kill it; dying in any of the pre-birth stages, dying when incubator removal was attempted, dying sometime, even _years_ after removal. Many, many, many little lives died trying to get you those kids, and all those little lives were practiced on that shipment of P.O.W's that you were so generous to give."

"What?" Optimus whispered, drawing back slightly in surprise.

"The Decepticons elites, you dolt!" Moriguchi snapped. "Megatron, the Seekers, the 'Waves; We practiced making _your_ Efforts by first making Efforts for _them_! Why? Because they couldn't object and we could do further tests on them to see what the effect of having an Effort was on them without complaint! Once we were able to make Efforts able to last five years of age, we made you _your_ Efforts, but kept the Decepticon Efforts alive for further study. Most came out at different ages, and some are aging differently, but all are alive. So alive, in fact, that they decided that the lab life was over and _released their fathers_.

"So yes, Mr. Optimus Prime and Mr. Prowl, there _are_ other Efforts; they attacked your Efforts tonight, they're Decepticon Efforts created in preparation to make _yours_, and who have released their fathers to break out from Breaker Labs. If you don't believe me, access the Breaker Labs data base by going to their web site and entering 'Project Abominations X' into the password box of log in screen—no user name—and look at the data hidden on the other side of the click. In your own inane quest for fleshling children, you never slowed to read the fine print and now your worst nightmares have been born from your dream come true. Welcome to Hell, Autobots."

- - - - - - - - - - -

"And then they just disappeared in black puffs of smoke?" Mrs. Witwicky asked.

"Yeah, mom," Josh replied, holding an ice pack to a lump on his right cheek. "_Jack_ was lucky not to get beaten to a pulp by Anne's tools when the blue-haired dude somehow took control of them."

"It may had been telepathy…" Mr. Witwicky muttered.

He looked up at Prowl, Optimus, and Jazz; the three Autobots who shared the small room they were talking to him in along with Josh and the Witwicky parents as they explained why their son had had the snot beaten out of him.

"You guys said he was an Effort?" Mrs. Witwicky asked.

"Apparently," Prowl said, lowering his optics grimly. "The Breaker Laboratories are not as good as friends as we thought they were."

"What—what does that mean?" Mr. Witwicky asked.

"We'll explain in further detail when we know more," Optimus promised. "But for now—"

"No!" Mr. Witwicky snapped, standing straighter and pushing his fear aside. "Some whack job juveniles hurt my son and his friends tonight, and I want to know what is going on _now_!"

Prowl and Jazz looked at Optimus Prime. He sighed sadly and nodded grimly to Prowl. Prowl turned back to the family that he was kneeling in front of.

"We have reason to believe, due to a confession straight from Breaker Labs scientist Dr. Moriguchi himself, that there are Efforts of Decepticon origin out there. Moriguchi has refused to explain when or how things got out of hand, but from what we know, these Decepticon Efforts have somehow freed the original Decepticon elite soldiers that were in Breaker Labs' custody and over threw the Breaker Labs sector stationed in North Africa. If we are looking at this correctly, Josh and his friends were attacked by Decepticon Efforts tonight."

"Oh my god," Mrs. Witwicky whispered, covering her mouth with a hand.

"Wait, wait ,wait, I thought that Breaker Labs were supposed to _destroy_ the elite Decepticons once all neccesary studies were completed," Mr. Witwicky pointed out.

"They disobeyed that part of the arranged agrement," Prowl stated sadly.

"Ah, it figures," Mr. Witwicky growled, waving his hands in acceptance. "Humans corrupt and screw things up, as always. We can never do anything right."

"Oh, I wouldn't say that," Jazz said. "You made Josh, right? He's a good kid!"

"Thanks, Jazz," Josh said with a nervous smile.

"Jazz and the Lamborghini Twins will escort your safely home and guard you around the clock," Prowl went on, "lest this gang turns up again. I, mean while, will be carrying out an investigation here with Optimus Prime and some of the best detectives we have to figure out exactly what is going on and what actions we can take with maximal safety. Is there anything else you'd like to attend before we take you home?"

"Yeah, I do," Josh said, lifting his head. "What does this mean for the Efforts—_our_ Efforts?"

"They have nothing to be guilty of," Optimus stated. "And hence, they will remain safe, but always with in a close distance of their fathers, lest our new opponents seek to use them in a damaging way towards us."

Josh nodded, gratitude for the safety of his friends rushing through him, before he and his parents left. Optimus and Jazz looked at each other one last time. Jazz nodded to Optimus Prime then exited the room. Outside, the Lamborghini Twins had already been called and were waiting.

"Come on, you two," Jazz told them as he transformed into his Porsche alt-mode and opened his doors to admit the humans. "We're on guard duties until further notice for these guys."

"What, guard duties!?" Sideswipe exclaimed.

"Aw man," Sunstreaker growled, smacking a hand to his face. "We're back to guarding stupid flesh bags—"

"Hey!" Jazz suddenly barked out with uncharacteristic anger. "Did I stutter?"

"No, sir," the surprised brothers said as they transformed into their sleek red and yellow alt-forms.

"Then shut up and follow me; it's dawn, and we gotta beat morning traffic," Jazz growled, speeding off down the GAHQ's wide halls.

- - - - - - - - - - -

"A hacker job?" Jack Turbine asked, turning to Prowl and Optimus Prime when they were in the Jacks' lab later. The laboratory had, thanks to super fast repair mechs, had been healed of its wounds earned that morning. "What makes you think I can do a hacker job?"

"We already know about how you ever so _uniquely_ hacked E-Bay on more than one occasion to get chemicals and supplies off the internet for free back before you came here," Prowl said, crossing his arms and rolling his optics. "And you're lucky that I listened to Wheeljack and decided not to press charges. Besides, we're just telling you that if the files Dr. Moriguchi said would be on the site are not there, you can hack into it and see what is going on. You're the closest and best thing we have for a hacker at the moment, excluding Ratchet when he wants to remove limbs.

_K-shh! "I heard that!"_ Ratchet called over the intercom.

"Shut up and go back to your chamber of doom, Ratchet!" Wheeljack called to the medic through the intercom system.

"Alright, alright," Jack said, rolling his eyes. "Let's see if you need me."

"Okay, accessing the Breaker Labs web site now," Wheeljack muttered as he tapped at one of the laboratory's computers.

Breaker Labs, in spite of its rank as quite possibly the most powerful non-governmental science exploration league in the human universe, had a web site to display it non-confidential information and put up a friendly front. It was like National Geographic, only with more interesting experiment results in stead of stories in third world countries.

A white background came up first. In the center of the screen was a small black icon resembling a tad pole chasing its tail as a loading icon. Suddenly, the black tadpole icon disappeared and a navy blue menu appeared on the top and down the right side of the screen, displaying choices such as Current Events, History, About Us, Children's Section, Educational Programs, and fields like Genealogy, Biology, and other such scientific fields. There were two rectangles in the upper right corner for users to long into, if they were types to visit the site often.

"Project Abominations X, no user name," Wheeljack muttered, typing in the password.

Then he pressed enter.

Instantly, the entire screen became dark navy blue with a grid work of bright green lines over it. A red X appeared on screen, spinning as the data loaded, then a large white box appeared on screen with numerous folder icons, some with sub-icons, like a video camera for video clips and stacks of papers for written data.

"Let's see what they see," Wheeljack, pressing a particular key on the keyboard as he looked up at the screen.

The folders opened up spontaneously. Sheets upon sheets of charts, graphs, lists, and data flipped onto the screen. But what fought for space on the screen was what made the Autobots gasp in horror. Wheeljack spun around, catching a shocked Jack Turbine up in his hands and hold him close to his chest to cover the human boy's eyes as his own blue optics paled as they stared in horror at the screen.

"Don't look, Jack!" Wheeljack yelped.

What were sharing the screen were pictures of the failed Efforts. Some were mere cellular pictures. Most were barely recognizable, dark, bloody lumps leaking blood in a puddle around them. Sometimes, they were leaking energon. As the pictures progressed into more and more successful attempts, these bloody limps seemingly so impersonally set on the examination table began to take more and more recognizable forms as crude, misshapen fetuses that became more and more developed. Most were hideously transmogrified; this one had metal claws growing from its hand piercing into its chest. That had a huge head covered in broken metal plates whose edges bit into the soft skull. That had a grossly over sized abdomen.

The pictures progressed into small children, none over five years old. Many were still hideously twisted, very pale or peculiarly colored. But the worse were the ones who were _not_ twisted and mutated. A picture of a tiny girl with short blond hair and a pug nose appeared with no exterior flaws or cause for death. Now a blurry picture taken in action of a little boy, turned away from the camera and surrounded by helpless guards, crumbling to the floor in the hall as long, sharp thorns sprouted out of his back in fountains of blood. Such pictures of young, innocent, sentient children dying in the quest to make a compatible life form between Transformers and humans was almost too much for Optimus Prime, and it showed how his breathing was increasing as his shocked cooling systems grasped for calming air. In his mind's eye, he was connecting these innocent lives to his own Benjamin—had Benjamin come from the blood offering of these helpless innocents? True, the Witwicky motto was "No sacrifice, no victory," but was this worth it?

"Stop it!" Prowl suddenly yelled.

He leaped forward and smacked a hand on one of the larger buttons of the large Transformer-sized keyboard and the images froze, then all closed out, leaving the original menu window hovering on the screen. It seemed like if that menu was sentient, it would raise an eye brow and ask, "What's the matter? I'm just doing my job."

They all stood for several minutes staring at the screen and sucking cooling air into their systems like they were panting. Slowly, Wheeljack let Jack away from his chest and glanced at him, as if to make sure that he was okay. Primus shivered, repulsed that he was about to order someone to venture through these journal entries of the Devil, but knowing that it had to be done.

"Turbine…" Optimus began quietly.

"I understand, Mr. Prime," the young boy answered, adgusting his lab coat. "I can get through it. I'll look through the files while you check on Moriguchi. And if you will, please demand what the _hell_ and _Pit_ his fellow scientists when they so recklessly practiced such…" Jack's face twisted in a grimace. "_Atrocities."_

"Thank you," Optimus said, nodding gratefully. "Come, Prowl. I would like to question Dr. Moriguchi one more time…"


	8. Midnight Discussion

**Disclaimer: I don't own Transformers, just the story.**

**Chapter 8: Midnight Discussion**

_Becky was dreaming that she and her father, Prowl, were going down the main street of Transport City, looking up at the GAHQ in the near distance. It was a sunny day, but the street was abandoned. Prowl rolled slowly beside her in his alt-mode. She was in a full police uniform, gun raised and senses on alert as she scanned all nooks and crannies ahead of her, looking for something. Suddenly, Prowl said something and sped off up the street, tires screaming on pavement as he took a right off the street, leaving Becky standing there alone as the weather suddenly changed from a sunny summer day to a grim, over cast one. The buildings fell into ruin around her, but the Global Autobot Headquarters, while darkened, stayed standing, even as the pavement shivered beneath Becky's feet and became broken crumbled like chocolate squares around her, exposing the sewers and pipes beneath. She ducked, collapsing to her hands and knees, as explosions suddenly rocketed the world around her. Caught in the cross fire, all her training went out the window and her tiny gun failed to even stand up to the weapons in front of her. Then it got worse._

_The ocean came. It splashed around the buildings and washed away the rubble, flooding the war machines in the streets and drowning people and stray animal alike. Birds took to the air with fearful screeches and Becky was caught up in the flood, splashing around like the drowning kit she was as the water took her away and the city disappeared around her._

_Where was Prowl? Where was Father? Daddy? Daddy? She needed Daddy! Where was he? She was lost and scared and in danger!_

_"Daddy!" she screamed to the sky, her voice muted by the war's roar around her. "Daddy! Daaaaadeeeeee--!"_

"Becky!" Anne bellowed, smacking Becky in the face. "Wake up!"

Becky woke up with her hair plastered to her face by sweat, and stared up at Anne in surprise. She sat up in bed and picked at her black silk pajamas, which were also sticking to her. She looked around at her cop-based room, filled with Wanted posters and posters from shows like _America's Most Wanted, Cops,_ and even _Reno 911_. No ocean water was filling it, and no walls were crumbling; all was well. Anne sat beside her on her bed, dressed in pink sweat pants with an old white, red-sleeved and trimmed baseball shirt.The lights were still out except for a dim glow coming from the hall outside.

"Anne?" Becky stammered. "What-what--?"

"You had a nightmare and I could hear it next door," Anne answered. "You kept screaming for your dad."

"Oh, was I?" Becky asked, trying to regain her calm, cool, composure. "I can't remember what I was dreaming about," she lied.

"What were you dreaming about?" Anne asked, the un-amused look on her face clearly showing her disbelief.

"Father and I were walking down the Main Street in front of the headquarters when Father drove off somewhere and left me," Becky babbled. "Things got dark and everything fell to ruin and then the battle started and I couldn't see what was going on and the ocean swallowed the city but oh Primus it was scary because I couldn't do scrap about anything and I was so helpless and Father wasn't around and oh Primus it was scary…"

Anne hugged Becky, who was on the verge of tears, and gently patted her.

"There, there," Anne cooed. "It's okay, Becky, it was just a nightmare."

"Am I missing some girl-on-girl action in here?" Max asked, poking his head into the room.

"I'd shoot you if Father hadn't confiscated my gun," Becky laughed, whipping the dampness from her eyes. "So I'll get Jess to do it with Pointblank."

"Yeah, yeah, but seriously," Max said, stepping into the room in only his Sponge Bob pajama bottoms as Michelangelo peeked in hesitantly behind him. "What's wrong?"

"Becky had a nightmare, is all," Anne replied. "What about you? What are you doing up?"

"I, uh, heard something," Max said, looking to the side at one of the posters on the wall as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"He had a dream that he was being stung to death by bees," Michelangelo said, entering the room in white cotton pajamas.

"Ouch," Anne said sympathetically.

"That wasn't the worst part," Michelangelo said. "The worst part was when he tried doing a super cool skate trick and this hot chick—"

"Thank you, traitor," Max mock-growled, "Shall I tell them that you just ditched the bunny slippers just now?"

"What's the matter with bunny slippers?" Jess asked, elbowing past Michelangelo to enter the room. Jess had been spending the night with Anne in her room, not wanting to be alone that night, as she needed assurance of good things since her father was in the med-bay with a badly damaged arm.

She was dressed in a pale pink night gown with white bunny slippers. A brown belt was around her waist, carrying a holster that contained Pointblank. She glared at Max when he opened his mouth and pulled Pointblank from behind herself from the belt.

_Primus, she carries that thing to __bed__? _Max thought. _What if she rolls over and pushes the trigger?_

"I dare you to answer that," she hissed.

"Primus, you carry that to _bed_?" Max asked aloud.

"What's going on in here?" Benjamin asked, entering the room in dark blue PJs. "I heard the talking and came to see what was up."

"I-I just had a nightmare, Ben," Becky squeaked. "That's all."

"Max had a nightmare, too," Michelangelo said, smacking the shorter, yellow-haired boy on the back.

"And _you'll_ start having ones if you don't stop opening your big mouth," Max warned.

"Well," Benjamin yawned, "If all Becky had was a nightmare, why don't we all scram back to bed, eh? You need anything, Becky, some water or anything like that?"

"No, just sleep," Becky yawned, lying back down. "And something to make me forget the fact that Josh likes me."

Max started saying something in French.

"G'night, walking corpse," Becky growled.

The hint was taken.

Everyone bade each other good night as they left Becky's room for their own. When Jess noticed Max going in the opposite direction of his room, she spoke up.

"Hey, where are you going?" she asked.

"I'm thirsty; I'm getting a drink," Max replied.

"Okay, I guess Mr. Square Pants needs re-hydrating," Jess snickered.

"Bunny Slippers need to go back into hibernation," Max shot back just before he took off down the hall before Jess could draw Pointblank.

A few minutes later and Max was standing in the inner end of the second floor South Wing permanent resident rooms. Here, there was a small diner where the residents could grab their meals when it was open. Using his all-access pass card, Max was able to get into the closed night-time diner to get himself a cool glass of milk sweetened with honey. As he was leaving the diner, tall milk glass in hand, he heard voices near by. The diner was set on the most center area between the North and South wings with two staircases in front and to the left and right of it, facing east, spiraling down to the first floor below. Elevators were right by the staircases. Right now, Max heard masculine voices drifting up from the first floor below. Venturing to the balcony's railing, Max peeked downwards.

He could see the tops of the heads and shoulders of Optimus Prime, Prowl, and a turquoise and red guard mech of no importance.

"What do you mean, he disappeared?" Optimus asked, not angry, but surprised.

"Well, sir," the anonymous mech replied. "My partner and I were guarding the doors, just like you said, but when we looked in to check on Dr. Moriguchi, he was gone! One of the windows was open, and according to chemical scans around the window, it looks like someone with a jet pack came for him. We found this in his bed."

The guard mech held some tiny device up to Optimus, slipping it carefully into Optimus' hand when he held it up. Optimus tilted his head slightly and Max could imagine that he squinted as he examined the device—he couldn't see the mech leader's face.

"A communications device," he finally diagnosed.

"Moriguchi must have had it somewhere on his person all along," Prowl hypothesized. "He must have called help when he realized that he was in trouble and someone from Breaker Labs took him away on his orders."

Optimus was silent for a long moment before nodding to the guard.

"Thank you, you are dismissed," he said.

The guard nodded, saluting, before he turned and left.

Prowl was the first one that spoke, "How could we have not have known about any of this? The Breaker Labs' continued possession of live Decepticons, the other Efforts? _How_? I mean, the funding _alone_—"

"Breaker Laboratories is funded by government and private donators alike," Optimus replied, "In exchange for new war technology to the highest-bidding government and things like beauty enhancements and age stoppers for private donators. Don't forget it was Breaker Labs that revolutionized the efficient, affordable, eco-friendly automobile; the money from bidding that automobile off to the largest car companies in the world alone could keep them going for a long time. There may also be operations of an unsavory sort going around, should certain high criminals make agreements."

"I see," Prowl agreed. "Out law types enroll their men and women to work for Breaker Labs as their guards and interns, thus the scientists would have blackmail of past crimes over their own employees to keep them quiet _and_ get to underpay them, as the criminal employees have no where else to go. Hmm, now that I think about it, _everyone _has a dark secret that they would prefer to keep silent; perhaps this is how Breaker Labs managed to keep their projects from getting out to the press. Plus, working in a _Pit _like the lawless land of northern Africa could help discourage snoops. I assume now that the Breaker Labs is not above giving certain _weapons_ to the same criminals if the price is right?"

"Correct," Optimus confirmed. "I don't know how many of the Breaker Labs' benefactors and fund givers were in on their Decepticon Efforts experiments, but we can _not_ allow them to continue."

"The humans won't be happy when we accuse their brightest science company of treason," Prowl warned.

"What Moriguchi and his employees did was wrong, but we have bigger fish to fry."

Now Optimus turned to Prowl.

"Prowl," he said. "Where is our army?"

"Everyone's on leave, sir," Prowl replied. "We can call them back if need be. Most are with in touch."

"Then do it," Prime ordered. "Have mechs and law enforcers near Breaker Lab points updated of the situation with Moriguchi and have them gather around those Breaker Lab stations and keep and eye out for Moriguchi. Look for any suspicious activity. Where's Bumblebee, our political representative?"

"In China promoting child welfare, sir," was the answer.

"Get him over to the UN, updated, and get him to warn the humans about the danger they're in. Then have him report back here immediately; I'll need one of my best scouts under my wing."

"And for the others, sir?" Prowl inquired.

"Tell them…" Optimus said sadly, "To assemble themselves once more. We're going to war."

Max, while listening to all of this, had slowly relaxed his hand's hold on his glass of honey-sweetened milk. Now the glass reminded him why he was even up at this late hour by slipping from his hand. Unable to catch it, Max sprinted off. But the time the glass shattered on the floor, making Optimus and Prowl look up, Max was already a quarter of the way back to his and the other Efforts' rooms, sprinting with almost inhumane speed.


	9. Taxi Ride

**Disclaimer: I don't own Transformers (Hasbro does) I own the story.**

**Chapter 9: Taxi Ride**

"I can't believe it," Jess said as she, the Efforts, and Josh and Jack all sat in the Landing Park the next day.

"I mean, I dreamed of fighting in something big someday," she went on with one hand wrapped around Pointblank in comfort. "And sure, the Decepticons' return was among those dreams, but I never expected it to happen! I had dreams of the Decepticons just bursting in and Daddy and I going right back at 'em, guns blazing, but now that it's happening it's still… surreal."

"Well, Jess," Benjamin pointed out. "No good leader or level-headed person would just 'burst in' and--"

"They were fantasies, Benjamin, shut up," Jess told him.

"Sorry. So, Jack," Benjamin said, turning to the tired-out kid. "I heard that you were up late last night."

"Yeah," Jack yawned. "I've been trying to hack into Breaker Labs' deepest, darkest, most soul-searing secrets. I've gotten to them, but they got more stuff locked inside those secret files of horror and gore. That and I can't sleep with nightmares of the blue-haired guy from last night coming at me with Anne's tools of painful destruction."

"Lovely," Becky sighed sarcastically, plopping her head back against Michelangelo's leg as they lied in the grass and she stared up at the sky.

"How about you, Josh," Max asked. "Gotten your car back yet?"

"No, I haven't," Josh replied, shaking his head, "I haven't been able to go back to the Lambo Twins' shop for my car yet. The Lambo Twins are guarding my parents, much to my parents' dismay," he chuckled. "Rumor has it that you were sneaking around last night, Max."

"How else would I know about Optimus' official going-back-to-war-idea?" Max asked, closing his eyes smugly as he linked his fingers behind his head and sitting back against the tree he sat under. "That's me, man; keepin' an eye and ear out for my peeps."

"Don't act black," Anne growled.

"You know, you wasted some perfectly good milk and honey when you dropped a glass of it while you were eavesdropping, Max."

Squeaking in fright, Max jumped and opened his eyes to see that Prowl had snuck up behind his tree and now smirked down at Max with an amused crooked smile.

"W-Wow, you sure are stealthy for a giant robot," Max said shakily.

"I am called 'Prowl' for a reason," Prowl pointed out. "Michelangelo and Amethyst—"

"Becky," Becky insisted.

"Michelangelo and _Amethyst;_ Please come with me. Michelangelo, I have to drop you off at the garage; you and Skyfire will be flying around Earth collecting our best soldiers to bring back here in preparation for the war. Becky and I will accompany you to make sure that you are not _harassed_ by any Decepticon forces."

"Dude," Max muttered. "Who would screw with a giant like _Skyfire?_"

"An idiot like Skywarp or Starscream," Michelangelo joked.

"I'm coming, too?" Becky asked as she and Michelangelo stood up. "Why?"

"Optimus thinks it would be best for all of us to stay near out Efforts to make sure that they are safe," Prowl answered. "And on top of that," he said with a small smile. "I'd be honored to have my daughter beside me as I return to a job that's more important than tending to boring patrols to stop purse snatchers."

"Ha!" Max yelled, sitting up and pointing at Becky triumphantly. "I _told_ you they were pointless, boring patrols! I _told_ you!"

"I'll shoot you when I get a gun," Becky promised him as Prowl transformed into his cruiser form and she and Michelangelo climbed in.

"Later guys," Michelangelo called from the passenger window as he waved. "Wish us luck!"

"Good luck!" Benjamin said, smiling nervously as Prowl left the Landing Park. "Be safe," he whispered.

"Yeah," Josh said sadly. "I would hate to loose a hot piece of bum like Becky."

Benjamin rolled his eyes before he covered them with his hand. Anne whacked Josh upside the head.

The speakers of the intercom clicked to life in the Landing Park.

_K-shh! "Wheeljack to Li'le Jack,"_ Wheeljack called, _"Ready to take another crack at the files? I'm trying myself and—um, let's just say that I won't be eating lunch today…"_

Jack smiled and shook his head to Anne, Jess, Josh, Benjamin, and Max, then called up to Wheeljack, "Coming, 'Jack," To his friends; "I'll see you later, guys."

As Jack left, a beeping suddenly filled the air and Anne pulled a pager from her belt loop and looked at it.

"Dad wants to teach me some medic stuff for the battlefield," she said. "That and the dude Jess shot up the other day is having some complications. I gotta go to the Hospital; check ya later."

"I'm going to go check on my Daddy," Jess said, leaving after Max.

Benjamin, Max, and Josh all looked at each other. Max looked at Benjamin, then looked to the sky and crossed his fingers.

_"Please, _don't get called away for military briefing! _Please_ don't get called away for military briefing!" he began to pray.

After a minute when no one else was called away Max smiled. "Great," he said. "Let's go joy-riding; Josh?"

"My car is still at the twins' paint shop," Josh reminded, "We got back here in the twins, remember?"

"Oh, damn," Max cursed, getting to his feet. "Well then, taxi time!"

"Taxi time?" Benjamin asked.

"Yes, my dear, military-rotted friend, taxi time," Max said sweetly as he dropped an army around Benjamin's shoulders and steered him towards the Landing Park's building entrance. "Come; I shall show you the ways of bartering with strange accented foreign men. Come, Josh! With a taxi, we will reunite with your sweet-ass ride and we shall cause havoc on the streets of Transport City without the tyrannical Prowl plotting our end with in the streets!"

"Dramatic short stick," Josh chuckled as he followed the two.

- - - - - - - - - - -

Ten minutes later, they were cruising through the Transport City streets whilst crammed in the back of a little blue and white Transport City taxi cab. Their driver had a battered brown news boy's cap pulled low over their light brown hair and the collar of their pale blue denim jacket pulled up. A pair of large black sun glasses covered his eyes. The name tag stitched to the jacket said "Steven". Max was talking non-stop as he elbowed for room between Josh and Benjamin.

"Max," Benjamin grunted. "Will you kindly quite hogging and pushing for the room?"

"You know what I heard?" Max asked. "I heard that in America, like New York City, the cars are nice and big because a lot of it still runs on gas, and the taxi drivers made their _own_ version of a hybrid car so that they can keep the classic boxy look to their yellow and black checkered cabs. Wouldn't that be cool, eh, to be able to take up to six people in one taxi van in stead of being stuck with these dinky three-seated dinky little things?"

"Technically," the oddly-accented driver piped up. "It's only supposed to be _two_ seats, but you're a small boy."

"Ah, can it, buck-o," Max grunted. "You don't have the authority to correct me."

"Hey, chill, Max, chill," Josh said. "No need to be a cranky pants."

"But he's just a _taxi driver_!" Max exclaimed, waving his hands at Steven. "What can _he_ do?"

"Well," Benjamin pointed out. "He could drive like a maniac."

"Pheh," Max snorted, crossing his arms, "I would love to see him-- _aaahhh!!"_

The last satement came out when Steven suddenly slammed on the brakes and yanked on the wheel, making the taxi spin around and around and around in the open street. Josh and Max both clunged to Benjamin and screamed. Between them, Benjamin simply blinked, apparently being new to the concept of having one's life threatened via annoyed taxi cab driver whilst in mentioned driver's cab. With an ear-scratching scream of rubber on pavement, the car spun around and stopped, inches from the curb.

"Corner of Amsterdam and Buck Load Avenues," the taxi driver announced. "That will be $10. 65."

Max made a whimpering, whinning sound as he pawed at the door handle and literally _fell_ out of the door. Benjamin turned his head, looking at Max, then carefully climbed out of the cab after him. As Benjamin helped Max exit his near-death experience, Josh paid for the cab.

"Thanks for that," Josh chuckled, taking out the money, "He's been kind of cocky and crazy lately."

The taxi driver didn't bother turning around all the way and his hand accidentally batted Josh's wrist before he caught the money.

"No problem, chuck," the driver replied. "You just be careful, 'kay? I heard a couple of crazy Lamborghinis tear up these streets all the time."

"Yeah, they do," Josh chuckled, exiting the car. "Have a nice day."

"You too," the driver replied.

Josh was relieved to see that his Mustang was right where he parked it, but of Sunstreaker and Sideswipe, there was no sign of. Their absence reminded Josh that they were guarding his parents today and a note of concern jumped up in him.

"Hold on, guys," Josh told them. "I want to check on my parents."

"Why?" Max asked. "_You're_ the one who got his aft kicked last night."

"Max, please," Benjamin said. "Josh just wants to check on his parents, that's all."

"Fine, but hurry up, will ya?" Max asked, rolling his eyes as he crossed his arms across his chest.

"Do you _want _me to call that taxi driver back for another joy ride?" Benjamin asked sternly.

Josh stepped away from Benjamin and Max as he drew out his cell phone and pressed the speed dial for his Mom's cell phone. The first ring wasn't even finished when his Mom answered on the other end.

_"Hello, who is this?"_

"Hey, Mom, it's Josh. I just wanted to see how you and Dad are holding up," Josh replied.

_"Oh, we're doing fine, honey, how about you? Are you doing fine?"_ she sounded frantic, on the edge of panic, and most defiantly _not fine_. Max thought he heard tires screaming in the background.

"Yeah, Mom, Benjamin, Max, and I are just going to drive around town some," Josh assured. "There's nothing to be worried about."

_"D-Driving? W-well, shouldn't you wait for Jazz to come back from work? I mean, while Sunstreaker and Sideswipe are protecting your dad and I, someone has to protect you and—"_She stopped when there was a loud tire scream in the background and someone honked. _"For Pete's sake, Sunstreaker, slow down! We're just going to the grocery store!!!"_

"Don't worry, Mom," Josh said, smiling as he raised his voice for Benjamin and Max to hear. "I got a future great army leader and a short guy with tall spunk with me and best friends who got my back, always. I'll be fine, Mom. Love you."

_"Y-Yeah, honey, okay. I love you."_ Her voice switched from nervous to down right angry as something honked on her end of the line. _"Sunstreaker, I swear, if you run through one more red light, I am going to take my foot and shove it through your dashboard and—"_

Josh hung up and turned back to Benjamin and Max, both of whom were smiling at Josh.

"You're a flatterer, you know that?" Benjamin chuckled.

"Come _on_, let's go rip some rubber!" Max exclaimed, clapping his hands and pointing to the waiting car.

- - - - - - - - - - -

The ride was fun, at first. But as the lunch rush hour passed, Max became more and more insistent for Josh to take a turn more crazily, to drive a little too close to a pedestrian just to see if they could flip her skirt up with the car's after wind, to try out racing a stale green light. Benjamin and Josh told him to calm down several times, but he ignored them. Finally, Josh and Benjamin exchanged looks and nodded. Josh pulled over into an ally and turned the car off.

"Hey! What are you doing? There's a sweet Sudan we can race out there, he was revving at us!" Max exclaimed. "Guys? Hello, guys, are you listening?" After a moment of silence, his inpatients turned into fear. "Oh _no_, don't tell me you guys have to leave somewhere, too!"

After another moment of silence, Benjamin turned around in the passenger seat to look at Max, who was sitting in the back.

"Max, we need to talk," He said.

"Huh?" Max asked, sitting back in surprise.

"You're small-guy-big-attitude personality is amusing and fun, yes," Josh said. "It makes you who you are, and we _love_ that, but lately… you've been getting that same personality in a bad way."

"What do you mean?" Max asked.

"Jumping off of buildings and traversing high roads on Grind, arguing with your dad, trying to convince me to run away from something I'm perfectly content with, and now your desire for reckless driving has reached a fever pitch," Benjamin counted off on his fingers. "Your thrill for chills is becoming dangerous, even _life threatening_. Max… is this because of how distant you and your dad are?"

Max stared at them with his jaw dropped, then it bunched up into an angry frown and he looked away. When no one spoke for a long time, Max finally spoke in a low tone.

"Pops and I _were_ close at one time. But then, when I was six or seven, he got to be the stupid ambassador for the Autobots to _every country in the world_. He was gone all the time, kissing babies and other dumb stuff, but all I wanted was for Pops to come back and, I dunno, play with me? I found out that he tended to pay more attention when his secretaries called about the _windows_ I would break playing Wall Ball by myself, or the _broken arms_ I would get skateboarding. Look, I was a stupid kid then, okay? And I was desperate for attention."

"And you're a stupid kid _now_, Max," Benjamin pointed out. "Putting your life on the line by acting crazy and getting in trouble is no way to earn your father's attention."

"Well then how else am I supposed to get his attention!?" Max snapped. "_Your_ dad sends you off to military school every year like some unwanted love child every year, so he _has_ an excuse—"

"My father loves me!" Benjamin defended with more force than he intended.

"Hell, out of all of us here, _Josh_ is lucky because his parents are ordinary folks who are always there for him when he get's home!" Max exclaimed, jutting a thumb at Josh. "Josh is an ordinary human with ordinary parents who are there every day after school when he get's home, ready to ask how his day went, or how he got that bruise on his cheek, and are there at the dinner table come evening time with warm food and warm hearts. _I_ only get a bunch of random _robots_ when I get out of schooling at the HQ, and I'm lucky if Dad's there to have some pizza with me! And you, Benjamin; you got friends who make you your family when you're away."

"Max, please," Benjamin said. "I'm sorry if you're hurting, but—"

"But what, Ben?" Max snapped. "'Be a good boy and Bumblebee will say that he's proud of you someday?' Wait until you're older, you'll understand? Benjamin! My Pops will _never_ be able to say that because he'll _never_ be around long enough to see what there is to be proud of!"

"Then what do you want, Max?" Benjamin asked. "Do you want Bumblebee to spend more time with you? Tell him about it and I'm sure he'll put some time aside!"

"I just don't want a dad to spend time with," Max said, his voice becoming as quiet and sad as his eyes. "I want to be _normal_."

With that statement, Max left the car, slamming the door shut behind him before he stomped out of the alley.

"Max!" Josh exclaimed, attempting to get out, but Benjamin's hand settled on his arm.

"Let him go, Josh," Benjamin bade. "He needs some time alone to blow some steam off."

Josh looked at Benjamin, then out of the alley that Max had stormed out of, but reluctantly stayed.


	10. Sad Times

**Disclaimer: Hasbro owns Transformers, I (Kurieo Parnok) own the story.**

**Chapter 10: Sad Times**

"Alright then, first on our list of specially re-recruited mechs is Blaster," Prowl said, glancing down at the list. "He's currently a DJ in Los Angeles, never stayed in touch with the other mechs. It looks like he's making a good living and is popular with the youthful crowd. But don't be fooled by his cheery exterior; he's only hiding guilt."

"What is he guilty for, Mr. Prowl?" Michelangelo inquired, shutting a metal plate over some internal wires he had been checking.

"Circumstances that he could not control," Prowl merely replied.

Prowl, Michelangelo, and Becky were all in the large hull of inter-space-jet Skyfire as they flew quickly across the face of the Earth and came over American air space. Prowl stood in the center of the hull holding a rectangular, notebook-sized black computer in hand as he checked over the information it had. Becky sat on one of the metal blocks on the edge of the hull, which concealed generators and other technology devices beneath. Michelangelo occupied himself by checking on Skyfire's internal conditions. Outside, as the day got older back in Transport City, it only got younger as Skyfire flew to America until they were flying into the eleven o' clock at night hour.

Suddenly, a beep sounded and a polite male voice spoke to them over the radio waves.

_"American Watch Tower 316 to air craft, welcome to America, what is the purpose of your visit to America?"_

"Skyfire to AWT 316," Skyfire replied, his voice filling the hull as it came from everywhere and no where. "Hello, Andy; I have special orders from Optimus Prime himself to pick up some Autobots here in America."

_"Ah, Skyfire,"_ Andy said cheerfully. _"Welcome back! How's Michelangelo doing? Is he painting yet?"_

"No, sir, I'm not," Michelangelo chuckled.

_"Ah, what a pity,"_ Andy said._ "Well, got anyone else with you?"_

"Just myself and my daughter, Amethyst," Prowl called.

"Becky!" Becky snapped.

_"Well, fellahs (and lady), welcome to America,"_ Andy said cheerfully._ "Enjoy your stay!"_

"Thanks, Andy," Michelangelo said as the connection was cut.

"I like him," Skyfire said. "He's always so polite. So, now that they know we're here…" Skyfire's engines began to hum as he picked up speed, making everyone brace themselves where they were. "Let's kick some speed up, shall we?"

- - - - - - - - - - -

"Alright, boys and girls, here's a new popping song to have ya'll rocking it out all night long on this Friday night," Blaster said into the microphone. He pushed a small CD into the player that would broadcast the song on it as far as the radio towers allowed, then turned as the door to his broadcasting studio opened. Was his femme human partner back from the coffee and energon run already?

"Hey, Barbra, did they have the high-grade stuff?" he asked.

"No," Prowl said, squeezing into the room that had been expanded for Transformer use, "But we have more important things to talk about.

Blaster's black helmet brim almost slid over his optics in shock as his orange shoulders jerked. A couple of his buttons in the stereo area of his chest even clacked down in surprise. He turned away, optics narrowing in distrust and annoyance.

"What do you want, Prowl?" he growled.

"Something I fear that you do not want to lend any more; your aide in the fight against the Decepticons," Prowl replied.

Blaster's head whipped around with his optics blazing in surprise.

"The Decepticons!" he exclaimed. "But they're—"

"Dead?" Prowl suggested. "Didn't we all think that? But, apparently, Breaker Labs are _not_ our friends."

He explained to Blaster how Ironhide had been attacked and his manner of coming back to Transport City, as well as the ambush on the Autobot Efforts and Moriguchi's confession, as well as his mysterious disappearance.

"Bumblebee's getting the leaders collected so that Optimus can break the news," Prowl finished, "and I'm collecting all our best soldiers on Optimus' orders. Blaster…_ you're_ one of those best soldiers."

Blaster looked away again, his look even darker than before.

"No," he said.

"But Blaster—"

"No!" Blaster yelled, jumping to his feet, but keeping his back turned to Prowl. "I am _not_ going back, Prowl! Not after—" He choked, "Not after what happened…"

"Blaster," Prowl said, placing a comforting hand on Blaster's shoulder. "It_ wasn't_ your fault about what happened to the cassettes."

"But it was the last battle, Prowl!" Blaster exclaimed, turning on Prowl with his optics flickering wildly. "The last one! If I had just kept them in me for just a few more minutes instead of sending them all out into the battle like some over-eager, dramatic _idiot_, then they could have finally seen peace! Rewind, Eject, Steeljaw, Ramhorn—all of them could have woken up the next day knowing that they would never had to fight again. But I sent them out," Blaster whined, placing a hand over his optics and lowering his head. "I sent them _all_ out for a final fight… and none of them came back…"

There was a pause as Blaster looked up, having collected himself, but the emotion in his optics could not be hidden.

"Prowl," he went on. "Don't make me go back. I'm—I'm sorry, but I can't go back."

Prowl stared at Blaster, his optics flickering silently in sadness. Where had the loud, obnoxiously cheery DJ, Blaster gone? Probably to the All Spark, just like his beloved Cassetticons. It's a sad time indeed when Blaster, music and sound maker of the Autobots, was noisy only just enough to keep the pay check coming.

"Well," Prowl said, drawing a card from a compartment on his chest and handing it to Blaster. "If you ever change your mind, or just need to talk, call me on that number there. I'll listen."

Suddenly, Skyfire's voice shouted in Jazz's audio receptor through their com link, making him jump in surprise and Blaster step back a confused pace.

_"Prowl! Prowl!"_ Skyfire exclaimed.

"What? What, Skyfire, what? I'm right here; no need to shout!" Prowl exclaimed.

_"It's Becky; she's been kidnapped!"_

- - - - - - - - - - -

"Shadowleap, did you _kill_ her??"

"No! I just grabbed her and brought her here! If she _is_ dead, then the Autobot Efforts are _weak_. I mean, honestly, dying after one teleportation trip? _Lame_-o! And Ferrofluid said that she fought well, too."

"Have you noticed that Ferrofluid's developing a love for biting?"

"Must because of his alt-mode..."

Becky's eyes fluttered open. What had happened? She had been looking out over Los Angeles with Skyfire parked near by in the abandoned drive in movie theatre parking lot. Then she had heard a strange sort of TV hum just before something had come up behind her and blackness had covered her. Now she was lying flat on the hard ground somewhere dark and outside, and that TV hum was still there. She could hear traffic in the distance. Sitting up, she saw that she was on the hill right behind a series of enormous letters; the Hollywood Sign.

_How the hell did I get here?_ She wondered, looking around.

She spotted a couple of kids then. Neither could have been older than eleven.

One was a boy, sitting on a dark boulder whose shape was hard to discern in the nightly shadows, with deeply tanned skin and curly black hair, looking like some Italian child model. His eyes appeared indigo at first, but they flashed red, like a cat's reflective eyes, when he turned to look at her. He was dressed in black jeans with a purple collared shirt, black sneakers, and black gloves with a short, wide black scarf wrapped around his neck.

The girl had blond hair tied up in low pig tails that graced her back that were streaked with blue and black. Her large, innocent eyes were an adorable baby blue that matched the black and blue vertically-stripped dress that she wore. The white collar of her dress was high, the sleeves were short and puffy, and her black leather, silver-buckled shoes sparkled in the dim night. She stood just a little off to the side of her male comrade.

"Hey, sweeties," Becky cooed, forcing herself to her feet in spite of her cloudy mind, "Can you tell me where I'm at? I'm Becky—"

"We know," a deeper, older voice growled.

The boy shifted in the air as the "boulder" he sat on moved. Becky gasped and stepped back a pace as black and dark blue, almost indigo, metal glittered in the city's distant lights and a pair of red optics, glowing like twin fire balls, turned to look down on her. The boy was sitting on a huge metal knee. Behind the little girl, black and dark purple metal moved and another pair of glowing red optics appeared. Becky saw the insignias of a triangular, hound-like beast imprinted in each of the giants' jet wings, which sprouted from their backs imposingly.

"We kidnapped you," Thundercracker said.


	11. Introducing the Youngest

**Disclaimer: Hasbro owns Transformers. I own the story.**

**Chapter 11: Introducing the Youngest**

Kidnapped, behind the Hollywood Sign, and currently in the presence of not one, but _two_ Decepticons; Becky took the hint and turned as she began running away.

Suddenly, the shadows shifted in front of her and the little boy appeared, a none-too-innocent smile crossing his small, hansom features.

"What's the matter?" he asked. "Don't like a play date?"

Becky stopped short to keep her self from running into the boy and an enormous black hand encircled her waist.

"Huh, she trembling like a cell phone on 'vibrate'," the dark blue and black mech commented as he turned the terrified Becky over in his hands, "How cute."

Becky's white blouse began to hitch rather high up on her self and tried to pull it down. She succeeded in almost falling out of the robot's hands, but was caught by the other.

"Easy, Thundercracker," the purple and black robot exclaimed. "Megs said to hold her hostage!"

"Sorry, Skywarp," Thundercracker snorted. "But it's always fun to feel the kidnapped human idiot writhe in your hand—almost like having one of those self-flexing wooden snakes that amuse human children so…"

"Um, hello?" Becky said, glancing down at the boy and girl. "Humans in ear shot, here?"

"Oh, we're not human," the boy said with a grin. The shadows around him darkened and he disappeared. The darkness by Becky flickered and the boy appeared crouching on Skywarp's wrist like some sort of frog, grinning into a startled Becky's face. Actually, with a smile, he resembled a demonic monkey.

"We're Efforts, just like you!" the boy said.

_Definitely a demonic monkey,_ Becky thought.

"So…" Becky said, watching as the boy crawled up Skywarp's arm to sit on his left shoulder. "It's true; Breaker Labs really _did_ make Decepticon Efforts."

"Oh, _yeah_, baby! And it _rocks_!" the boy said, throwing his head up the sky happily. "Name's Shadowleap, chick; and that pretty little thing down there is my partner in crime and the every lovely Cartwheel."

Cartwheel giggled behind one hand, blushing, and waved up to Shadowleap and Becky.

"And as for Skywarp and Thundercracker, well…" Shadowleap grinned as he propped and elbow against Skywarp's head. "You already know them, now, don't you?"

"What do you want from me?" Becky asked.

"Now if you can't figure that out," Shadowleap said. "You are one _stupid_ person. Think about it, girl."

"The recruiting," Becky realized after a moment of thought. "You-you want my dad to get so frightened about my disappearance that he can't recruit the best Autobots!"

"You got it, lady!" Shadowleap said, pointing at her with both hands like some sort of game host. "Everyone knows that Prowl don't like it when things don't go according to plan, and I _doubt_ that he thought about your being kidnapped to figure into the plan. So just sit back and sit tight, hot stuff, and we won't have to make Prowl one of those cops who kicks criminal aft because his own Sparkling got oft by one of them."

"You talk like a friend of mine back home," Becky said, narrowing her eyes in annoyance. "He's sixteen and can't grasp the concept of 'stop flirting with me'."

"Aw, a womanizer, eh?" Shadowleap said slyly. "Actually, I'm just trying to make you uncomfortable. I know, I know, it's not normal for a kid my age, but hey, some of us grow up faster than others, you know?"

"Please, let me go," Becky pleaded. "You _don't_ have to do this! You're still so young and you don't know the world!"

"Hey, save the begging-for-mercy bit for Megatron and my old man, here," Shadowleap said, standing up so that he leaned against Skywarp's head with ankles and arms crossed. "They're the _only_ guys I listen to; them and Mextron."

"Mextron?" Becky asked curiously.

"Can we just shut her up?" Shadowleap groaned, smacking the back of his head against Skywarp. "The girl's getting annoying!"

"You do the honors, kid," Thundercracker chuckled.

"Alright," Shadowleap said with a shrug as Skywarp turned his fist so that the captured Becky had her back to Shadowleap.

Shadowleap jumped from Skywarp's shoulders with inhumane agility and brought his foot down on the back of Becky's head, knocking her out cold. After a moment with Shadowleap balanced on the fist that held Becky, Skywarp lowered his hand and set both Becky and Skywarp down on the ground.

"Is she dead?" Shadowleap asked.

Cartwheel walked over and knelt beside Becky, placing a single index finger to the teenager's temple.

"No, just unconscious," she diagnosed. "She'll be out for another… eight hours and ten minutes."

"Wow, really?"

"Yes."

"Cool."

Just then, the Decepticons' radios and the children's translator nodes, stuck in their ears, spoke up with a deep, gravely, ever-recognizable voice.

_"This is Megatron to the Seekers Skywarp and Thundercracker; have you successfully captured the Effort of Prowl?"_

"Yes, sir," Thundercracker answered. "We have captured her without incident or complication."

_"Excellent; make sure that you have the officer running around looking for her. Without his professional fighting skills, it will be almost all too easy to take out Skywarp. Keep her with you until further notice."_

"Yes, sir," Thundercracker replied.

_"This is Megatron, over and out."_

- - - - - - - - - - -

Thus breaking his connection with the Seekers, Megatron turned around and looked at the red, white, and blue, black-helmeted Seeker. Beside the Seeker was a blue and white, visor-eyed and face-mask wearing mech with a cannon on his right shoulder and a cassette player in his chest. The trio was currently standing out side of a large tin garage set somewhere in the mountains of Canada. The stars sparkled over head and the forest's nocturnal predators prowled around, ignoring the metallic visitors.

"I can't believe that we've stooped to getting our weapons from _hillbillies_," the Seeker grumbled.

"Well, Starscream," the grey mech said with poisoned, sarcastic, sweetness. "Seeing as how we are completely starting from scrap with no shattered world filled with factories to get our weapons, we have no choice.

"Are you sure this is where the merchant with our needed weapons is, Soundwave?" Megatron asked blue and white mech.

"Affirmative," Soundwave said, nodding. "All sales records have claimed that this is the source and main business point of the Transformer merchant known as Gadgetmaker."

"Very well," Megatron said, turning to the garage door that was just barely tall enough to admit him. "Let's see how this 'Gadgetmaker' holds up to the idea of who his latest customers are."


	12. Old Customers

**Disclaimer: Hasbro owns Transformers. I own the story.**

**Chapter 12: Old Customers**

The garage doors slid aside when their motion detectors sensed the trio of powerful Decepticons approach. Inside, the garage was rather spacious. To the Decepticons' immediate right, there was a wide, strong metal stair case leading up to a sort of balcony closed off from the rest of the garage by walls; this was the garage owner's own private room. The rest of the garage, how ever, was open for all to gape at.

Tables lined the walls and cross the concrete expanse, piled high with boxes and crates of goods. Some space-aged cruisers and shiny cars occupied the concrete floor, including a helicopter. Giant lengths of cable hung from the ceiling, waiting to be picked and cut. Nets stretched between the rafters, filled with all sorts of soft packages of furs and cloths for any organic, or organic-loving buyers to take their pick from. Weapons, from laser-infused swords to enormous arm cannons, hung on the walls beside super durable shields and car hoods. Low-quality lights hooked up to the walls, their wires exposed clearly, lit the entire garage in a surrealistic blue tint that added a feeling of professional knowledge and a dash of the fantasy-like science-fiction to it all.

Currently, a small mech, barely six feet tall stood behind one of the tables, rummaging through the crates. A rich royal blue seemed to be his base color with bright, neon orange acting as his secondary color for his boots, fingerless metal gloves, shoulders, and neck, as well as the windshield-face design on his abdomen. Large, rich blue optics studied what he was rummaging through for a few minutes before his head snapped up to look at the Decepticons. For a moment, his black face stared in surprise at the Decepticons before it broke out into an enormous, tooth-exposing grin.

"Megatron, my favorite customer, who's the tricks, pal?" the bright orange and navy blue mech said, his blue optics sparkling as he parted from the box to walk around and stand by the edge of the table in full view.

"I'm not your _pal_, Gadgetmaker," Megatron growled. "And how come you are not surprised to see me? I have never seen you before."

"Ah, Megs, Megs, _Megs_," the little robot said lovingly. "Don't you recognize your old _swindler?_"

As the robot said the last bit, he pressed a button on his chest. The color changed, starting from his boots and making his way up to the rest of the frame, turning the bright orange into golden yellow and the navy blue into purple. When it reached his optics, he tapped on either glass eye and two pale blue lenses fell out, revealing purple optics beneath.

"Swindle?" Megatron asked with some amusement, belaying the true surprise he felt underneath. "You're still alive? What happened to you?"

"Got hit by some sort of shrink ray and got stuck human-sized. As for survival; eh, some Autobot foot fighters aren't as honorable as their cause claims them to be," Swindle chuckled. He tucked the colored lenses into a compartment in his lower arm with an action similar to tucking something down one's sleeve. "Paid the foot soldier off easy with some energon and a promise for something better in the future. Heh, idiot…"

"What have you been up to, Swindle, for these past forty or so years?"

"Why, being Swindle, of course!" Swindle replied, raising his arms up in a pose. "From the hot ports of Sydney to the freezing ice blocks called Russia, I've been crossing Earth all these years, trading, buying, and selling! Oh, sure, I would just _love_ to extend my business to Cybertron, but you know what? Cybertron is _dead_ in the way of profitable merchandising! Now these humans—ah, these humans! Greedy little blokes they are, forever buying what they want and selling what they need and buying what strikes their fancy; money _flows_ from their hand to mine! I'm making _thrice_ the money here that I ever did on Cybertron! I would have gotten quite fat and lazy on all this profit, had I not heard of something that hinted of even _better_ profits in the future."

"What did you hear?" Megatron asked when Swindle did not go on.

"Dear Megatron," Swindle purred. "I'm a _business_ man!"

"Your payment is your _life_, Swindle," Megatron growled, raising his arm cannon.

"Touché, touché, "Swindle said, stepping back as he raised his hands innocently and smiled nervously. Then his ever friendly, clever smile was back on his face.

"You see, dear Megatron, my old friend," Swindle went on, strutting around a table heaped high with goods and pointing one finger to the ceiling in show. "Just fifteen Earth years after your official 'defeat', I was running a night club and this human soldier came in. He drank himself into a stupor and I had to throw him out myself. But before I did, he told me of something _amazing_; a secret Breaker Laboratory in the Sahara Desert where a group of Decepticons were still living in order to make human-Transformer hybrids! Something about bringing the Transformers and humanity closer. We now know it as Project Smelting, which gave us the human Autobot brats, made everyone happy, warm fuzzy feelings, yadda, yadda, yadda, warm butterflies deserve to be shot, _any_way…

"I investigated via little electronic bug spies I picked off a rather smart college hacker, and I found these rumors to be true, after a few years of searching, of course. So, what was I to do? Release you? Blackmail someone? It was all rather confusing… until I saw how the scientists were treating the children."

In spite of himself, Mextron's name crossed Megatron's mind and a tiny note of concern reached out of his cold interior curiously. But it was Starscream who spoke.

"What do you mean?" Starscream asked slowly, "'How the scientists were treating the children'?"

"Well, one appeared to have telepathic abilities; he got shot up with all sorts of medication. Kid was foaming at the mouth before he wised up and faked not having them any more."

Soundwave gave no outer reaction.

"Another kid, some fellah with grey hair, got his _aft_ handed to him by the guards when he got a bit upset about the treatment of the previous kid."

The corner of Megatron's mouth twitched, but no more.

"And the girl, some red-headed lass," Swindle's cheery grin fell into a distasteful grimace. "Well, let's just say that even a Transformer can tell when a human man can't keep it in his pants."

"You mean he sexually harassed her?" Starscream hissed.

"Yeap," Swindle said, closing his optics and nodding, arms crossed across his chest. Then he opened one optic to look at Starscream. "Why; is the girl something special to you?"

"Never mind," Megatron interrupted. "Just get on with the story; how did all of this lead to your business opportunity?"

_Wait, why do I even care?_ Megatron thought, but answered it for himself almost immediately; _because the customer of this business opportunity might get something good, as well._

"Well, dear Megatron," Swindle went on. "To cut a long story short… I knew that the kids would want to release their fathers, and when that happened…" Swindle smacked his hands together loudly. "Boom!! War time, weapons, and suppliers in great demand once again! Lots and lots of credits for _my_ bank account! So hence, rather then buy myself a mansion and all that, I've been carefully saving up and buying small loads of high-quality weaponry these past few years. So now…"

Reaching out a hand, Swindle grabbed what appeared to be a randomly welded metal bar attached of the table he was standing by and pulled on it. The floor beneath the Decepticons fell a little and Starscream and Megatron both turned, jumping out of its way. Soundwave remained with his feet planted apart and his hands behind his back. He looked down at the sunken platform casually. Swindle walked between them to stand in the center of the large, lowered floor.

"So now," Swindle finished. "I got quite an armory for the right bidder. I usually don't let guys without credits down here. But seeing as how you're old friends," He said with a wink. "I'll let you take a peek and probably put some stuff on a tab."

Megatron knew that Swindle cared more for money than to kill his customers, so he stepped onto the large elevator platform with little hesitation. He was more curious than anything to see how the merchant had been doing sense Megatron had last seen him; Swindle was an interesting character. Starscream followed, but noticeably less enthusiastic about the action.

"Going down?" Swindle inquired, even as he pulled a remote from a compartment in his arm and pressed a button.

The elevator quickly, but gently, lowered the four Transformers down into the floor. When they were approximately four stories below ground, they reached a sub-level that stretched over a hundred feet long by fifty feet wide made the shop over head look like some one's garage sale.

All the walls and the ceiling were of white glass lit up from behind by pale blue lights. Long, neat rows of tables stretched out in front of them neatly lined up with lovingly set up weapons placed in customized stands. Larger guns and long weapons like spears, javelins, and swords hung on the wall like fishing trophies, only less tacky. At the foot of the walls were chests and larger equipment, from on-the-go energon generators that could be carried like back packs, flame throwers, and even entire armor upgrades. All in all, it was a _very_ suave war equipment collection.

"How do you like it?" Swindle said, smiling up at Megatron.

"Impressive," Megatron said, nodding.

"Great! Take your pick," Swindle said, leading the way into the sub-level. "You can get three items free for now, but after that, it's going on a tab for half price until you got five items on tab, then full price. It's my Old Customers Discount."

"Old customers indeed," Megatron agreed with a small smile as he picked an arm cannon weapon off its stand.

_This one's almost better than mine,_ he realized.

"_That's_ a Cyber-Blaster 5600," Swindle said, jumping into his profession. "Takes fifteen clicks of energy, an average energy price, per shot, and specialized for close-combat shooting. You can get a special extension for that baby to make it for long-rang combat as well. Not to mention its sleek, black exterior tends to attract the ladies and—"

"Swindle?" Megatron interrupted.

"Hmm," Swindle asked as Megatron slowly pointed the Cyber-Blaster 5600 at the shrunken mech.

"Don't make me shoot you."

"Right-o," Swindle said with a small salute. "I'll let you browse."

"What the slag is this?" Starscream asked, picking up a large dark blue and red plastic gun. "Some sort of toy?"

"Ah, that's what the design is _supposed_ to make you think, my friend!" Swindle said, hustling over to Starscream and taking the plastic gun from his hand. "Here, allow me to demonstrate…"

The gun had had two handles; the primary handle set just behind the trigger at the end of the gun and one in the middle to help steady it. It also had an attached, adjustable curved section in the very back to act as a shoulder brace and a pump action device. The circle of large holes at the end of the gun was filled with orange Styrofoam darts. Swindle pumped the gun several times as he spoke.

"This model was originally invented as a Nerf gun," Swindle explained. "A very old and classic line of toys for violent little children who could take their shooting rampages out on anything without damage. One only has to pump up the gun several times and…"

He raised the gun and shot at a target set at the end of the room. Ten orange darts flew from the end of the gun to bounce off the wall harmlessly.

"Cumbersome pumping, pathetic ploy at action," Swindle sighed with a sad shrug, looking up at Starscream. "But ah, my friend, the product's not finished yet! Watch and learn!"

Taking what appeared to be a plastic grip covering identical to that already on the gun off the table, Swindle banged the primary handle of the large gun down on the table, knocking out its original grip to slip the new grip in. Smacking it with the heel of his hand, the new grip section slid into the plastic gun with a loud, professional click. Hidden lights lit up on the gun and a high-pitched charging whistle was heard as Swindle aimed the gun at where he had shot the Nerf darts, taking much more time and care to set the gun against his shoulder, keep a tight grip on both handles, and aim.

"Now this is where this baby shines, my power-hungry, egotistical friend," Swindle informed. "Due to the coded notches on the inside of the gun's handle and the new grip, the inner gears of the gun have activated an entirely new and more dangerous form of weapons system. The aiming mechanisms now follow the burst of air that no longer needs pumping and used to shoot the darts and, well, just watch…"

Hearing the gun reach the peak of its charge up whistle, Swindle braced his feet and pulled the trigger.

A large orb of blue and white energy collected on the Nerf-gun-from-hell and shot out with a loud screech, slamming into the aimed target on the wall. Swindle's body jerked violently from the whip lash and the wall, mean while, was burnt and severely damaged. Even as the Decepticons watched, metal bars re-sprouted from the burnt remains, squirted foam out into the empty spaces, and a wall of some shell-like stuff covered it, repairing the wall entirely.

Starscream's face was in a jaw-dropped, all out, what-the-hell-was-that-for-real face.

"You have to hand it to them," Swindle said, looking over the gun. "Humans can make war out of fun and fun out of war."

He smiled charmingly up at Starscream as he knocked the heel of his hand against the gun, knocking the power up handle out from its holding and cutting off the second charging up whistle of the gun. He handed the gun to Starscream, a tiny pistol in the Seeker's hand.

"Main purpose of this baby: Smuggling big-aft weaponry into places where it is forbidden. It has eight different power-up mode grip handles, and you can buy three for the price of two," Swindle informed. "Buy now and I can throw you in three of the power up grips for free—"

"By what mode of technology was the wall repaired so quickly?" Megatron inquired suddenly.

"Simple Automatic Repair Technology, or ART, sir," Swindle said charmingly. He walked over to an exposed section of wall that had no glass in it. "Invented between humans and Transformers about three years back, ART is _expensive_ and the latest and greatest. Tired of waiting on slow repair drones? Don't trust a shady Construction with doing a good job? Pay for ART and you'll never have to worry about such things again! Allow me to demonstrate…"

Picking up a smallish gun from the table, he shot at the wall. A small burning hole appeared in the wall, but white foam squired from with in it and hardened, once more repairing it. Suddenly, a massive blast rocketed into the wall and Swindle jumped back with a cry, falling down hard on his aft. The wall was blown out clear to the bed rock on the other side. But white foam squirted from the edges of the wall and filled in the wall. Metal bars sprouted seemingly from no where, acting as the wall brace. Some of the foam hardened into the sponge-like wall insulator before covering it up with the rubbery-plastic cover of a water-proof barrier. Finally, the foam became stiff and hardened, melding into a flawless, hard wall once more. Swindle looked over to Megatron, who had his smoking arm cannon raised at the wall and a smirk on his face.

"I'll take it," he said.

"E-Excellent choice, sir," Swindle said, getting to his feet and brushing himself off. He noticed Soundwave staring at something and asked, "Hello, Mr. 'Wave, what's caught _your_ attention?"

"Shoulder cannon; inferior," Soundwave grunted, looking down at a rather large shoulder cannon on one of the tables by the walls.

"It's because you're looking at it all wrong, my friend!" Swindle said, rushing over to the blue and white mech and picking up the shoulder cannon. "Let me show you…"

With in moments, Swindle had professionally set the device up so that it had unfolded leg stabilizers and it stood on a firm trunk with a gun at the top that could swing in a complete circle.

"See?" Swindle said, looking up at Soundwave. "It's no _shoulder cannon_, it's a _machine gun_! Someone's lovely adaptation of the human's own weapon made Cybertron, mate."

"You… seem to have become more professional at this, Swindle," Megatron said slowly, watching as Swindle took down the Cybertron machine gun and set it back on its table in less than thirty seconds in spite of the ten or so hand motions and folding procedures that went with the task.

"Why thank you, Megatron," Swindle said cheerfully. "Yeah, I've been practicing, between deals and while I'm lying low from the feds; been rather boring life to live. Could I perhaps interest you in some vision upgrades—?"

"That will be all, Swindle," Megatron stated, "We will return when we have the necessary credits to pay for what we want. We may be Decepticons, but we don't steal from our own kind."

"Right!" Swindle said with a wink as he smacked his right fist over his left upper chest. As he did, a spot in the very center of his abdomen blazed a bright purple before dimming out, revealing a Decepticon symbol in its place.

Megatron nodded then turned back to the elevator. Understanding, Soundwave went to the platform. Starscream, who had been admiring a rather attractive, spiky helmet upgrade, made final doe eyes at the helmet before joining Soundwave.

"Oh, and one more thing, Megatron," Swindle said coolly with one ankle crossed across the other as he leaned against a table. One arm was wrapped around his mid-section and the other had its elbow propped on the first as his hand stroked his chin.

Megatron rolled his optics, but turned to Swindle, clenching his teeth in frustration. "What _is_ it, Swindle?"

Swindle looked up and smirked to Megatron, openly acting cocky.

"There are other Efforts," he stated, "Others that Breaker Labs has not noted down. I know the location of one that will alliance themselves with you, but the question is…" He stepped forward in front of Megatron. "Exactly how much are you willing to pay for this extraordinary soldier?"


	13. Ready Or Not

**Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers. I own the story.**

**Chapter 13: Ready or Not…**

Benjamin stood in one of the training rooms of the GAHQ, clad in black under armor and boots with red and blue padding resembling armor covering him self. In his hands, he held a long black gun of peculiar origin and design. He was about to start his fighting exercises and was taking deep breaths, slowing his heart rate down as he found his inner peace.

Outside the training room, Transport City and the world waited with bated breath as the people stared at their TVs, having been alerted of a "code red emergency" just a little over an hour ago.

Far away in Los Angeles, Prowl was in his cruiser form, sirens screaming in panic as he skidded around corner after corner, desperately looking for his lost daughter.

Becky mean while, lay inside of Skywarp's jet form while Thundercracker carried Cartwheel and Shadowleap in himself and they raced across the sky, going east across the US. Thundercracker had managed to hack out a radio feed from the air that Blaster was broadcasting and listening to the speech Optimus was about to make. The jets passed by a red and white jet carrying a blue and white cassette player and a large futuristic grey gun sped by them and the two parties wheeled around, momentarily circling each other before rocketing off in the same direction at an ever faster pace than before.

Blaster sat in his studio with human partner Barbra, waiting for Optimus to speak, like everyone else. Optimus Prime him self had taken a space cruiser to speed-fly all the way to the UN conference building in New York and was about to break the official news to the world.

The only person not listening was Jack Turbine as he furiously tried to hack into Breaker Labs' deepest, darkest, cyber-hidden secrets, even though Wheeljack stood in the background with the radio on. Groaning, Turbine took out his hand-held computer and plugged it into the bigger computer.

"Frig it, use my own code," he muttered.

As Benjamin opened his eyes in the training room, Optimus spoke to the world.

_"Ladies and gentlemen,"_ he began gravely_. "A while back I sent a troop of Autobots to a Breaker Laboratories post in North Africa for protection against forces stronger than the human race there…"_

Benjamin pulled a side trigger on his gun and the barrel shifted and changed into a long black blade. He lifted up, pointing to an imaginary foe.

_"Less than a week ago, the base they were protecting was attacked by a well-skilled fighting force…"_

Benjamin swung the sword down, following it through as he spun after it and lifted his sword up, holding it in both hands so the blade was between his eyes.

_"The only people who lived were the leader of this small guard force and one of my best soldiers, Ironhide, and the human leader of these scientists, Dr. Henry Moriguchi."_

Benjamin spun around again and began swinging his sword, piercing the air, slicing unseen enemies, and decapitating unmet foes.

_"Both were able to make it in an escape air craft piloted via computer with emergency quadrants back to the GAHQ, where it crash landed and the two were unconscious for several hours. What they revealed when they woke up is the bad news that I have prayed to Primus that I would never have to break ever again; The Decepticons had attacked the Breaker Laboratories."_

People all over the world yelled out a resounding, "WHAT!?" Benjamin continued to increase the speed of his sword's movement, going faster and faster until the black blade whispered and whistled and sang through the air.

_"Apparently, the Breaker Laboratories have kept the original Decepticon elite soldiers alive for studying; Skywarp, Thundercracker, Shockwave, Soundwave, Starscream, and even Megatron, as well as five of the Cassetticons, Ravage, Rumble, Frenzy, Laserbeak, and Buzzsaw. All, how ever, have been freed due to the actions of their own Efforts; children created between human DNA and their own compounds in Project Abominations, more popularly known as Project Smelting in a move to make the mechanical race and organic race closer together. We know not yet why the Decepticon Efforts chose to release evil upon the world, nor why the Breaker Laboratory officials have not contacted the Autobots sooner. Dr. Moriguchi has fled, knowing what he did was of criminal action, and is now wanted for unlawful and unethical scientific experimentation, harboring fugitives (even if they were in comatose), and failing to inform law enforcement officials of a crises._

_"Ladies and gentlemen…"_

Benjamin leaped up, his feet swinging through the air as he kicked at his foes and the sword whizzed through the air, humming eagerly for blood. Blaster, in his recording studio was running a hand over his face in some sort of internal struggle. Skywarp and Michelangelo were hovering over Los Angeles in stealth mode, scanning the city over and over again for Becky, but the Effort and the hologramed, human-sized form of Skywarp in the hull bay exchanged looks.

_"Ladies and gentlemen,"_ Optimus repeated. _"We thought that we had defeated a great enemy long ago, but he, Megatron, has returned with his army. The extent of this army's reach, its strength, its numbers, its skills, and its mentality have not been determined yet, but we will find it. We know that it is based in North Africa. My friends, Transformers and humans alike… War is upon us. I ask of you to please find the courage in your hearts and Sparks to once more take up arms and fight against the evil forces of the Decepticons. I ask of you to leave your safe homes behind and get ready to fight for your lives. I ask of you to help us banish this evil once and for all."_

Benjamin suddenly dropped into a low crouch before leaping up, jumping into a high back flip before landing and spinning around and around from one foot to the other and slowly backed up, his sword dancing in the air around him and making _snick_ sounds in the air.

_"If we do not unite against the Decepticons, all we have worked for, all our advancements, all our freedom, all our lives, will be taken. All that we love…"_

Benjamin finally froze as he ended his exercise, one foot planted a distance in front of him, knees slightly bent, one the sword-gun held in one hand while the other hand strayed out for balance.

_"Will be lost to darkness."_

- - - - - - - - - - -

**Stealth mode: On**

**Alternate Mode: In Operation**

**Danger Level: 88%**

**Target: Acquired**

**Action: _**

At first glance, it looked like a typical TV camera floating on the shoulder of an invisible

ghost camera man. In truth, the camera was merely on the brink of media man technology, being outfitted with remote-control hover technology so that, in case the story is where the camera man can not go, the camera man had only to activate program and operate the camera to fly to its destination. Hence, the hover camera was able to go where human and Transformer anchor man could not; whether it be in poisonous gas-filled sewer pipes, over the edges of cliffs, or even amidst the gun fire of a gang war, the handy device was there. This particular hovering camera's owner had even gone all out to give it a hologram caster; a mere tiny round lens beside the larger camera optic, that tiny lens could cast up an image of a reporter, captured with another camera, and hence give the illusion that the reporter was right in what ever forbidden environment the camera was at, but the reporter was not.

Now, this dark blue and white hover camera floated around, carefully maneuvering itself out of the direct scanners surrounding the GAHQ. Looking down, it spotted a certain familiar, strawberry-blond, gun-totting Effort girl lying on her back in the main park of the GAHQ, apparently asleep. Her vital signs in the scans said as much.

The hover camera dropped its invisibility field as it approached the girl silently through the air, seemingly to form from no where. The medium pet-carrier-sized camera floated in the air for a moment, staring down at Jess. After a moment, it transformed, turning from mech to human even as hands and feet formed. Now it was Skynet kneeling on the ground beside Jess and the hover camera was no where to be seen. Gently, he ran a soft gloved hand down the side of her face, brushing the air away from it. She looked so calm when she slept…

_Decepticon Effort Skynet,_ Soundwave suddenly said in the boy's head. His voice started off distant, but the telepathic connection became clearer as Soundwave came closer at a rapid pace. _New Orders:_ _Contact Decepticon Effort Smartmouth to replace myself in Lord Megatron's party. Reason: Information of a new recruit has been obtained and I must proceed with the pre-set plan._

Even as Soundwave telepathically spoke to Skynet, Skynet reached his mind out and found the smooth, but hot and temperamental mind of Smartmouth, angry even as she napped. He gently smacked her awake and relayed what Soundwave had said even as Soundwave finished speaking. He could distantly hear her cuss as she woke up, sensing her physical actions through her mental ones. When she spoke, her mind echoed her voice.

_"Well, sorry to disappoint you, but one of the 'Con boys and I are just about to kidnap the yellow-haired boy, so if you don't mind…"_

Smartmouth hadn't learned how to shut her mind off from telepathy yet, but the way _**IGNORE**_ flashed by in huge impressions in Skynet's and Soundwave's minds both agreed that she wasn't going to be talking to them anymore today. Fortunately, Soundwave had a backup plan and sensing it, Skynet contacted another person. He was still not well liked, do to his unusual appearances, but he had at least adopted a second hologram paint job of dark purple and black to look less… pathetic.

_Decepticon Flickword;_ Soundwave called. _Report to Lord Megatron immediately._

Over head, a trio of jets roared by and went unnoticed by the public; jets passed over the city frequently in military air excsersises, and besides… war was coming. With one last gaze to Jess, Skynet stood. A moment later, and Ironhide came to wake Jess up and get her out of the coming storm, failing to notice the hover camera as it floated over the wall.

- - - - - - - - - - -

Max, meanwhile, was walking down the streets with heavy foot steps akin to almost stomping. His hands were buried deep in his pockets and he was frowning deeply whilst he was caught up in the darkness of his own thoughts. He failed to feel the cold wind of an on-coming storm brushing past him, to notice the lack of people in the street, as they were all in doors hiding from the coming storm and listening to Optimus Prime on the radios and TV. He even failed to notice the trio of army jets zip by over head. Two split apart from the leader. They were replaced by lavender and lemon yellow hovercraft that flew up from its hiding place among the back allies, even as the ship adopted a dark purple and black paintjob. He also failed to notice someone watching him.

_I can't believe them, those jerks!_ He was thinking. _And I thought Josh was cool, too! But then he was all like 'oh no, you're getting too wild' and telling me what I should do! So what if I get a little wild; I just want Pops to stop talking to the old guys for once and come hang with me. I mean, it's easy for __them__ to say 'chill out' because their dads are always around! Jeez, hypocritical jerk offs, I hate them…_

"Excuse me?"

Max jumped a little and spun around when the female voice beckoned from his thoughts. Standing behind him was a teenage girl his age with long, dark red hair and wearing large, red plastic-rimmed sun glasses. She was dressed in a white summer dress decorated with a red flower pattern and had red high heels and a small purse to match with a wide-brimmed white hat on her head. She was _gorgeous_ and Max's first reaction was to blush. Then he smiled.

He failed to notice the odd silent, TV whistle-hum in the air.

"Hello," he said politely.

The girl smiled politely in turn and said in an odd, not-exactly-European accent, "Yeah, hi. Um, I hope I'm not bothering you, but I'm just visiting from the main land and I, uh, kinda forgot which hotel I'm staying at. Do you know, um, where I can possibly stay cheaply for the night?"

As the girl spoke, she nervously twirled a lock of hair around her finger and shifted from one foot to the other, crossing an arm over her upper body and pushing up slightly and letting the wind play freely with her skirt. Max, the poor dolt, was spell bound.

"Um, y-yeah," he said dumbly, blinking and shaking his head. "Hi, I'm Max, and um, the place I live at doesn't allow me to bring in unauthorized visitors, but, um, I have connections on the outside. Security's a bit whacked around him right now, but, uh—"

"Unauthorized? Connections? Security? My! What kind of life _do_ you live?" the girl asked, approaching Max with a certain tilt to her hips.

Max melted in her attention.

"Well," he said, placing one hand on the girl's back gently and escorting her to the cross walk of the street. He failed to notice the approaching sound of a car in city's silence, "Allow me to escort you to a rather chivalrous young friend of mine who will surely allow you a night or two at his house while I explain exactly what kind of life I live—"

"Don't bother, short stuff," the girl said, her voice switching from sweetness to sourness in record time. "I already know."

"Huh?" Max asked dumbly.

A car pulled up behind Max, screeching to a halt, and its door opened. Just as Max glanced over his shoulder to look at the black car, the girl punched him hard in the side of the head and pushed him into the car.

"Get him out of here," she sneered, waving her sore-knuckled hand around. "I'll get to the others."

The car door slammed shut and the car sped off in a small screech of tires. The girl looked around; making sure that no one had noticed the kidnapping. When she was sure that everyone was still in side and out of sight, she nodded and continued her way up the street. In side, everyone looked at each other as heaviness came to their hearts and Sparks. War had returned—was the people ready?

Well, ready or not, here the war came.


	14. Not Okay

**Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers. I own the story.**

**Chapter 14: Not Okay**

"So I was talking to Jane at the store today and she said that she has some antiques that she found in her storage room that she wants to get rid of; Just some old records and video equipment that she doesn't want. So I told her 'well, give it to me, Jane, I _love_ antiques'. So she did, and I brought it home. It's in the closet now. Ooh! There's even a cassette player in there! I _love_ cassette players! So tomorrow, Josh, honey, if you're not too busy, we can go through that box tomorrow and listen to the type of music your great-grandfather, Sam Witwicky, used to listen to back before the Autobots came to Earth…"

The Witwicky apartment was lit up against the night and the rain pouring down outside. Josh sat with his parents at the kitchen table, eating an ordinary dinner of the ever-classic pork chops, mashed potatoes, and green peas. Mrs. Witwicky, as always, chattered at the table why her husband and son listened, but Josh found it harder than usual to listen to her babble tonight, which was fine, since she was mostly just chattering in a half-frantic pace of mind, any way.

So many things had happened that day to make it a bad one for Josh; his friends splitting up for different duties, arguing with Max, the worried, distant look Benjamin had in his eyes when Josh dropped him off. Now, with a war springing up, it was just all around not a good day. Some jets roared by over head, causing glass to shudder in their holdings and for Josh's spine to shudder in his back. Were the governments already scrambling their jets?

Suddenly, all he wanted to do was check on his friends.

"Um, Mom, Dad?" he spoke up quietly, drawing his mom's chatter to a slow halt. "Can I, um, can I check on my friends? I mean, Becky and Michelangelo left with their dads to go recruit Autobot soldiers, and Jack's at the lab while Max just kind of stomped off and Ben looked a little out of it last I saw him. I'm worried, can I call them?"

Mr. and Mrs. Witwicky exchanged glances, then looked back at Josh.

"Sure, honey," Mrs. Witwicky said, nodding gently.

Muttering a thank you, Josh left the table and quickly went to the living room. The apartment, with two rooms on the bottom floor and three more on the top (excluding closets), was lacking in privacy and hence, Josh went as far to the edge of the living room as he could with the apartment's sole telephone before he began dialing numbers.

_Click. "Yellow, Jack Turbine speaking to ya live from the laboratories of death and destruction at the GAHQ, how can I help you?"_

"Hey, Jack, it's Josh," Josh said, feeling relief. "Just wanted to say hi and see how you were doing. I'm kinda on edge tonight."

_"Aren't we all? I mean, wow, the war's official? Man, well, what can you do? Just hang tight and hope that the slag doesn't hit the fan, eh? Hey, look, you see that I'm alive, and I'm kinda doing battle with the Breaker Labs' fire walls and—son of a glitch! Let me in there, damnit!—and I'm kinda busy. So, uh, talk to ya later, yeah? Oh NO you mother-flipping cheeky bastard!"_

"Don't stay up too late," Josh said with a grin. He could count on Jack to make any big thing a small deal.

_"I'll remember that when I reach my sixth cup of coffee as the rooster crows. Night, Josh! Oh, you son of a--!!"_

There was a click and Jack had hung up.

Next, Josh called for Benjamin. At first, it sounded like he was going to get voice mail, but Benjamin came through for him.

_"Josh? What's wrong?" _were Benjamin's first worried words.

_Thank you, Caller ID,_ Josh thought before answering, "Nothing, I was just checking on everyone and wanted to see how you were doing. So, what's up?"

_"I'm just finishing up an exercise session and am in the locker room, on my way to getting a good night's sleep. I didn't sleep well last night. Becky had a nightmare then Max was off the walls about a conversation he heard between Prowl and Optimus Prime."_

"Oh, what about?"

_"Nothing we don't already know: Sending Skyfire out to personally collect the best and bravest and talk of war. You're checking up on everyone? Yeah, I like your thinking. I'll give everyone a call later myself. Call me if anyone's not okay, will ya?"_

"Will do," Josh promised before they hung up.

Next he called the hospital, but was careful to use the casual, non-emergency number. Last time he had called directly was to ask Anne if she wanted to get off her shift early and come have pizza with the others. The next thing he knew, he had been hiding in Optimus Prime's truck alt-mode until she had put down a portable buzz saw.

_"Josh?"_ Anne asked.

"It's me, Josh, just calling to if you're okay," Josh said quickly, worried that she was busy.

_"Thanks, I needed that,"_ was the surprising reply filled with relief. _"The hospital's been too quiet tonight and I'm on the edge of my seat. I even kinda accidentally threw a heart monitor at Ratchet…"_

_"That's my girl!"_ Ratchet called in the background. The image of Ratchet sitting on the floor with an enormous bandage to an energon-bleeding head wound popped into Josh's mind.

Josh decided not to dwell deeper into the matter.

"Well, it's nice to see that you're okay; bored, but okay. I'm going to keep calling the others and see if they're okay. Check ya later!"

_"Feel free to break a leg, egg head; it'll give me something to yell about."_

Chuckling, Josh hung up and called for Max. All he got was voice mail and he sighed sadly. Was Max still mad? He left a message.

"Hey, Max, it's me, Josh. If you're there, pick up, please." No response. "Well, just wanted to let you know that I'm just calling everyone, making sure they're okay. I don't know if it's because of the war or what, but I'm really, _really_ on edge right now. So, um, when ever you get back from skateboarding or making out or just being a nut case on the roof, call me back, will ya? Just to shut me up? 'Kay, thanks, bye."

_Well, other than Max, it looks like everyone's okay_, Josh said, his spirits lifting. _Who knows, perhaps I'm being paranoid and it all work out okay? The Decepticons don't have a real army at this point that we know of. Maybe Optimus and the Autobots will kick their cans back to Cybertron and this will all just blow over…_

Josh called Michelangelo next. There was a weird purring beeping noise before Michelangelo answered.

_"Hello? Who is this?"_

"Hey, Michel, it's me, Josh. I was just kind of worried about everyone and thought I'd call."

_"Well, I'm glad you did,"_ Michelangelo said, his sigh of relief reaching through the air waves to Josh. _"Prowl, Father, Becky and I just landed in Los Angeles to try recruiting some people and while Prowl was gone to talk to someone, Becky disappeared!"_

"What?" Josh asked, straightening up in surprise. In the kitchen, his parents over heard him and exchanged nervous looks.

_"She just went to stretch her legs, but she never returned! We only found her cell phone. Prowl's gone postal, running all over the city like he's running from someone, looking for her, and Skyfire and I have been circling around and around trying to pick up her bio-scans. Father's been trying to talk Prowl back into his usual calm state, but Prowl's having none of it and—oh, wait, Prowl's slowing. Oh, Primus, he flipped!"_

There was a moment of terror where Josh felt his heart beat thumping at his chest. He heard clanking metal and muffled voices, some clicks and breathing, then Michelangelo came back, fear making his breath quick, but not in hysteria.

_"It's okay; Prowl managed to transform and just got some minor dents. He's just exhausted and kind of dazed now. Father's talking to him, but Prowl's firmly saying no to any idea of going home. It's obvious that he's going to stay in the States until he finds Becky. Father and I, well… I don't know yet. Look, can we call back later? The media men are running to ask Prowl and Father about the war and I need to keep them off. Bye!"_

There was a click and the connection was cut. A cold block of ice had filled Josh's stomach and he what little appetite he had had was gone now. Becky was missing? Josh knew that she could take care of herself, but with the revival of the Decepticons, even that hot-headed lass couldn't protect her self. Looking at the phone as if it were a beloved pet that had betrayed him with a bite, Josh slowly replaced the phone on its cradle. The darkening mood brought his father to the kitchen door way to look into the living room and at Josh.

Then he remembered what he had promised Benjamin and called him. This time, all he got was voice mail. He quickly told Benjamin that Becky had been kidnapped and Prowl had lost his cool before he hung up. It probably sounded like he was busy with something, but in truth, all Josh wanted was just to hang up the phone, as if _that_ would erase the negative events of the day.

"Josh?" Mr. Witwicky suddenly asked. "Are you okay?"

"Becky's missing," Josh finally replied. "She had just landed in Los Angeles with Prowl and the rest of the recruiting party when she went out to stretch her legs and disappeared. All they could find of her was her cell phone."

"Oh, Josh," Mr. Witwicky said, coming over and giving Josh a gentle hug. "I'm so sorry."

"Can I just go to bed?" Josh asked. "I don't feel so good."

"Of course, kid," Mr. Witwicky said, rubbing the top of Josh's head gently.

Wordlessly, Josh went upstairs to his own small bedroom. Mr. and Mrs. Witwicky exchanged looks before Mr. Witwicky went to grab his brown leather jacket with the matching fedora. He looked out the living room window and down to the street as they sky began to drop rain. Sure enough, a familiar Porsche was loyally parked on the side of the street right outside the apartment.

"Joe?" Mrs. Witwicky asked, standing up.

"I'm going to talk to those mechs out there about something," Joe grunted.

"Joe-"

"No, Mary!" Mr. Witwicky exclaimed, turning to his wife quickly. "We're stalling this long enough! Just—Just clean up, okay? I'll be back inside in a little while…"

Before his wife could object, Mr. Witwicky exited the apartment.

- - - - - - - - - - -

Outside in the rain, a black and white Porsche was parked on the side of the street with the

rain running in waves down its sleek, polished sides. At either end of the street in separate allies, a red and a yellow Lamborghini guarded the street. When the Porsche saw Mr. Witwicky exit the building, it opened the passenger door for him. The already-soaked human slid in easily.

"Don't mind getting a little wet, do you?" Mr. Witwicky asked.

"No problem," Jazz replied, turning on his heater and defroster. "I'm already wet enough as it is."

There was a moment of silence as Jazz waited for Mr. Witwicky to speak. Finally, the human did.

"Look," he said. "We got to talk about the kid."

"What about him?"

"Well, for one thing—"

Suddenly, Mrs. Witwicky's scream silenced Mr. Witwicky and cut through the rain. Over head, glass shattered as someone kicked through the window. A dark shape flew out, dragging a limp body after them. Mr. Witwicky jumped from Jazz as he transformed and Mrs. Witwicky leaned out of the shattered window. At either end of the street, Sunstreaker and Sideswipe transformed into their robot modes, drawing their guns as they looked up and around, but all signs of the flyer and their cargo was gone from scanner view.

"Mrs. Witwicky, are you okay?" Jazz called up to the woman.

"Josh! Josh!" Mrs. Witwicky was screaming frantically. "They got Josh!"

Back in the apartment, a box of old cassettes and their player suddenly toppled over as they took a life of their own. A red and black, black, and lavender cassette jumped into s blue and white tape player as a black and yellow cassette transformed into a large bird, catching the blue and white tape player in its claws. Mrs. Witwicky ducked and cried out as the bird shot by over head and out the already-shattered window, but it easily flew up into the night and out of sight.


	15. The War Begins

**Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers. I own the story.**

**Chapter 15: The War Begins**

Jack Turbine stood over the Transformer-sized computer in Wheeljack's laboratory, running a hand through his hair. One of his rubber-gloved hands pulled at the goggles set there and let them snap back onto his head as he stared at the data code hovering over him on the wide plasma TV-sized screen up on the monitor. Wheeljack, not possessing nowhere near the determination as his human apprentice, was snoozing in a chair further into the lab behind him with his feet propped up on one of the desks and a couple of chemical-filled vials in either hand. A cleaning drone crawled up the desk leg and over to his hands to carefully pry the vials from his hand and put them away. Yes, even the cleaning drones had Wheeljack-specific programming in them.

Jack felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see Anne standing behind him still in her turquoise nurse scrubs. She had a couple of coffee cups in her hands, one of which she presented him.

"Thanks," Jack said, taking the cup before looking up at the screen. "I've been taking a crack at this thing for _hours_ and I _still_ can't find a way past the site's fire wall. I _know_ there's a way in; I just need to find it! But it's just under my nose…"

"Maybe you should take a break and try to go blow something up?" Anne suggested. Behind her, the semi-sentient cleaning drone smacked a metal claw to its non-existent face. "Then we can _both_ have something to do. The hospital's too quiet."

"Would love to, Anne, but I've _got_ to figure out how to break this cheeky bastard," Jack replied, sipping on his coffee. "Something is just so _obvious_…"

"So, Josh called me earlier."

"Yeap, called me too. He's on edge?"

"Yeah. I told him to break a leg."

"Did he come in?"

"I can't tell; Dad threw me out when I threw a heart monitor at him."

"Oh snap!" Jack yelled, throwing his coffee cup over his shoulder.

"Hey, that was some good coffee; no need to throw it away," Anne scolded, looking at the cast-aside substance. "And throwing a heart monitor isn't _that_ serious—"

"No, no, I just found out how to break this thing!" Jack yelled. Running over to the monitor where he had plugged in his hand-held computer, he began to tap at it excitedly. He failed to notice a tiny crackle of energy run from his handheld computer to the Transformer-sized one.

The computer beeped and screens sprouted on it, exposing profiles, and along with the profiles came diagrams of part-human, part-Transformer creations. Jack beamed proudly as Anne stared up in shock at the screen. Maps and base pictures also appeared on the screen.

"Hey, Wheeljack," Jack yelled. "I got into the Breaker Lab data banks!"

Wheeljack jerked awake with a bark of machinery and looked around before fixing his optics on the screen. After a moment, his blue optics blazed in surprise.

"Woha!" he exclaimed. "Those guys have a major color problem!"

Turning back to the screen, Jack's face fell when he saw a blue and red color bleeding into the edges of the screen. He jumped forward, trying to close the boxes out, but they remained where they were. Static began to flicker across the screen and some of the computers began popping and fizzing.

"Turn it off!" Jack yelled, making Wheeljack leap to his feet in surprise. "Turn it off!!"

Some of the computers spat sparks.

"What? Why?" Wheeljack began to ask.

"I didn't hack into the base," Jack exclaimed. "They _let_ us in so that they could get into _our_ computers! Unplug it, quick!"

Wheeljack dove under the desk to yank on the wires, unplugging the computer, but it was too late. Sirens were going off and people were waking up all over the base as the electronic emergency announcer spoke in her bland voice.

_"Security breech 16-15; virus hacked into base's computers. City's defense guns disabled. Security breech 16-15…"_

Wheeljack peeked out from under the computer desk on his back with the computer's wires in hand, but the computer screen continued to flash and fritz violently. Anne took a step back from the screen and fell off the desk. Wheeljack caught her in his free hand as he sat up. Meanwhile, Jack Turbine stared at the image that was appearing on screen. First a vague humanoid shape, but increasing in from until a clear blue and white robot appeared on screen with a red visor over his optics and a white face mask. Jack gasped when the robot's head slowly tilted down to look at him.

Suddenly, the computer screen blew out and Jack managed to pull his goggles down over his eyes , cover his head with his arms, turn, and kneel in time to avoid any damage from the sparks that showered out of the over charged monitor. Lights were flickering in the lab, the computer screens clicked and buzzed, and the emergency siren grew louder as the electronic announcer drew attention to energy over loads and failing power lines. The computers in the laboratory began spitting more sparks before suddenly blowing out with loud pops. All over the city, lights flickered and blew out.

The sound of a Transformer shape-shifting made Jack turn around in time to see what he thought was his hand held computer stand up and transform into a red-orange and black robot. Neither Jack nor Anne were history buffs, but Wheeljack had seen this robot enough times in the past to know him on a namely basis.

"Frenzy!" Wheeljack gasped.

Wheeljack picked up Jack and Anne in either hand and stood, backing away from the computer council as Frenzy laughed at them. A power line in the ceiling blew, sending chunks of the ceiling raining down on them. Wheeljack transformed, carefully tucking his charges in the back of his Cybertronian car alt-mode. He began to back out of the laboratory, knowing full well that Frenzy had more punch to him than met the eye, or that his superior was very, very close by.

Out in the hall, a window shattered as a black and yellow robotic bird dove through it with a wild screech. Turning on a wing tip, it flew into the laboratory and dropped the cassette player it held. Before it had hit the floor, the cassette transformed and landed in a kneeling position right behind the Cybertronian car, making it jump on its wheels from the impact.

_"Oh no!!"_ the Autobot members screamed.

Soundwave reached down and seized Wheeljack before he could speed away and picked the van up. Turning it on its side, Soundwave shook it harshly.

"Got any thing good in your present, boss?" Frenzy snickered.

Anne and Jack Turbine fell against Wheeljack's doors and they accidently fell open. Jack hit the floor below the car while Anne clung to one of the doors' inside door handle. Jack shook his head and looked up at Anne before regaining his feet.

"Anne—", he began to yell.

Jack was cut off, though, when a black cassette leaped from Soundwave's chest and turned into Ravage. Ravage tackled Jack with a ferocious snarl, snapping his jaws on the back of Jack's lab coat and pulling.

"Li'le Jack!" Wheeljack yelled.

His body shifted as he tried transforming, but Soundwave squeezed harshly and he fell back with a frustrated shout, unable to change in his captor's grip. Soundwave shook Wheeljack and Anne lost her grip, falling to the floor. A lavender cassette jumped from Soundwave and turned into Rumble, who caught Anne, bride-style, just before she hit the floor.

"Hey, babe!" Rumble said, grinning at the confused red-head. "Thanks for dropping by!"

Anne spat in his face and kicked and struggled enough to make him drop her. She succeeded and kicked Ravage hard enough in the head to make him loose grip on Jack. Anne caught Jack's hand and pulled him to his feet, darting for the door. Frenzy jumped down from the computer council and ran over to Ravage and Rumble before holding both palms out to the fleeing kids.

"Hold on, kids!" he called. "Don't you wanna meet your friendly Cassetticons?"

Sound waves floated from his hand, reaching through the air to bite into the tender ears of the Efforts and make them stop short to hold their heads. In side their heads, a sound as quiet as a mouse and yet, as forcefully loud and unstoppable as a fog horn numbed their brains and squeezed their skulls. Thus paralyzed, Rumble and Ravage caught up to them and this time, Ravage pounced on Anne's back, slamming her onto her stomach while Rumble simply punched at Jack, knocking him out with a set of knuckles to the back of the head.

"Do not pursue or fight or the human male will die," Soundwave instructed Wheeljack.

Thus speaking, Soundwave tossed Wheeljack away. The Cybertronian van crunched harshly as it rolled across the laboratory floor, flipping over and over again before slamming against the far wall and lying on its side.

"Hey, boss, how are we gonna get them to the rendezvous point?" Rumble asked Soundwave.

"I carry you, Decepticon Solarflare carries me and the prisoner," Soundwave replied.

"Ooh, the tall babe with the turbo fox? _This_ is gonna be _nice."_

When Ironhide and Jess got there less than five minutes later, they found Wheeljack and Jack Turbine, but not Anne or any intruders. Ironhide's welding on his damaged shoulder was starting to dribble energon from excess activity. Ironhide paused to gently scoop up Jack Turbine before going over to Wheeljack.

"Wheeljack," Ironhide yelled, running over to kneel beside the van. Jess sat on his shoulder. "What happened to ya? What's happened to Li'le Jack?"

Before Wheeljack could answer, a blue hand wrapped around Jess from above and she screamed as she was plucked from Ironhide's shoulder. Ironhide turned around and gasped to see Soundwave hanging from a newly-made hole in the roof by his feet and tucking the struggling Jess into his chest cavity. Soundwave dropped and transformed in mid-air. Buzzsaw flew out from his hiding spot behind some computers and caught the cassette player before it hit the floor and flew out of the laboratory with it.

"Jess!" Ironhide yelled, standing.

"Don't," Wheeljack coughed.

Metal shuddered and Ironhide turned to look down at Wheeljack as the Transformer barely managed to come into his robot form. Several parts of him were bleeding energon, he was badly dented, but over all, he looked like he would live.

"Don't pursue," Wheeljack coughed. "Or he'll kill them."

- - - - - - - - - - -

Outside, Buzzsaw flew through the already shattered window and up into the clouds. Up there, a tri-jet was waiting for him, colored orange and white. Buzzsaw released the cassette player as it transformed into Soundwave. Soundwave floated in the air with his hovering abilities and opened his chest compartment and reached in. He drew out a struggling and all-out-cussing Jess and Anne. The jet understood and opened up her cock pit, allowing Soundwave to drop the girls inside. Purple bands of energon and seat straps leaped from the jet's interior, strapping the girls down and holding them immobile.

"How about a girl's night out on the town, ladies?" the Seeker asked.

Anne replied with something venomous enough to make even Jess and Soundwave stop and stare.

"My _name_ is Solarflare," the jet sighed.

Soundwave's chest compartment popped up and out crawled Frenzy, who sat on his shoulder.

"Man, boss," Frenzy groaned, stretching. "It's a whole lot tougher to sit in your compartment when I'm some dumb hand-held computer. When can I get my old alt-form back?"

Soundwave tapped Frenzy and Frenzy grumbled as he resumed hand-held computer mode. Buzzsaw transformed into a cassette and flew into Soundwave's chest before Soundwave himself became a cassette player and dropped down into Solarflare. The cock pit closed and the jet took off.

- - - - - - - - - - -

Ratchet was in the hospital, yelling out orders to the human and Transformer doctors, who were scrambling to obey him.

"Remove the radioactive cores from the scanners, cut off power before we blow something up, and for goodness sake, get a generator up so those guys on life support won't be in the morgue tomorrow! Move it, people!" Ratchet bellowed.

Suddenly, an ache formed in Ratchet's stomach area and he bent over slightly, leaning against the wall as one arm wrapped around his stomach.

_W-What?_ He wondered dumbly, trying to move the pain away from his mind.

He went through his mental list of Transformer aches and pains and their reasons, but stopped half way through as he realized something. He didn't know how, but some how, he knew that Anne was in trouble.

- - - - - - - - - - -

Jazz, Sunstreaker, and Sideswipe were chasing after the red, black, and white bird robot that had Josh, being able to pursue it better when the rain paused, when they skidded to a halt as the pavement in front of them exploded. The transformed and looked up, not believing their optics.

Air craft; scores and scores and scores of them, all flying like the Wicked Witch of the West's army of winged monkeys over the city. Everything from Earthling helicopters and jets to Cybertronian cruisers and things from far, far beyond recognition flew towards the city, shooting to the Transport City's defensive navy and destroying the hidden cannons lining the city.

"Where's the shield, why isn't the city-wide energy shield not going up??" Sunstreaker exclaimed, looking around frantically.

"It's disabled!" Sideswipe wailed.

Then a large ship blew up in the bay.

"SLAG!!" Sunstreaker yelled, transforming into a Lamborghini and speeding away. Jazz continued staring after the bird that had Josh, watching as the bird disappeared into the cloud of sentient homicidal metal air craft. Sideswipe pulled on his arm.

"Come on, Jazz, there's too many of them, we gotta hide!" Sideswipe pleaded.

"No," Jazz said, shaking the hand off and looking at Sideswipe. "We have to get the people to safety; to the headquarters."

Sunstreaker, now at the end of the street, stopped and transformed back into robot mode and he and Sideswipe exchanged looks. They nodded, then ran to opposite sides of the street and began lightly tapping on the building walls, which was enough to make the buildings shake and wake their human and small Transformer inhabitants wake up inside.

"Every body, wake up!" Sunstreaker yelled out. "Decepticons are attacking and the city defenses are down; we need to get you to the Autobot Headquarters. Come on, people, let's move it!"

"Grab only each other and some spare clothes and make your way to the Autobot Headquarters as quickly and safely as possible," Sideswipe was saying. "_Please_; don't panic or stampede!"

Even as he spoke, the building residents poured out of the buildings and began bolting up the street with one look at the approaching Decepticon swarm. Jazz had snapped out of his shocked stupor and was also waking people up and waving them up the street towards the Autobot headquarters.

"Come on, little guys, come on," Jazz urged. He noticed a group of pajama-bottom wearing human male teenagers taking pictures with their cell phones and digital cameras and nudged them with his boot. "Hey, get going, little guys, you wanna get killed?" he scolded.

Suddenly, the pavement on the end of the street over looking the docks exploded and the teenagers turned and bolted up the street. Jazz looked around as all up and down the southern coast of Transport City, the Decepticons began firing on the civilian buildings. The same harrowing, sinking feeling Jazz had gotten a long time ago when the war first started on Cybertron was settling in his inner gears now, and he didn't know whether or not to be relieved or disgusted that there was something comforting in it.

"Hey! Where's some cover fire from you guys back at base?" Jazz yelled into his communications link, "We're gonna get murdered out here!"

"_We're on it, sir!"_ an Autobot back on base declared.

Right on time, a troop of Autobot jet drones sped by over head and began to fly among the Decepticons.

"_It's not much, but it __should__ buy us time enough to get most of the civilians off the island or into shelter,"_ the Autobot on base said sadly.

"Everybody haul aft to the Autobot headquarters _now_!!" Jazz yelled, pointing the way.

- - - - - - - - - - -

People were running in mass panic all around, fleeing like the ants from a flooded nest.

Police and large Autobots were doing their best to stave off the Decepticons, but let's face it; none had expected war to occur again. Hence, none of them were adequately trained in the art of combat. This argument was supported as a dark blue and black jet plummeted from the sky and landed the heel of his metal, jet-imbued boot to the back of a Transformer's neck, knocking them, unconscious or dead, to the ground.

"Hurry up with dropping the prisoner off, Skywarp!" Thundercracker called into his communications link. "It's not half as fun without watching _your_ teleporting fat guy aft!"

"Who are you calling a fat guy?" Skywarp demanded, appearing with a small purple flash beside his comrade.

"Got the prisoner to the right safe house?" Thundercracker asked.

"Yeah, number 172!"

"It was one-_sixty_-two, dumb aft," Thundercracker scolded.

Thundercracker was distracted enough that he failed to notice an Autobot come at him with laser-infused daggers. Both daggers managed to cut deeply into the Seeker's shoulder, making him cry out in pain. Skywarp whooped and tackled the attacker in a head-on attack, punching him a good few times before shooting him. Thundercracker, mean while, held his injured shoulder close to himself as he looked down at his cock pit.

"Cartwheel, sweetie?" he asked.

A puff of black fog formed in Skywarp's cockpit as a certain mischief maker teleported. The same puff was mimicked in Thundercracker's cock pit before appearing on Thundercracker's injured shoulder. When it cleared, it showed little Cartwheel and Shadowleap kneeling on his shoulder.

"We're on it, Uncle Thunder!" Shadowleap assured.

"Cool name, but don't call me that," Thundercracker warned. "Too embarrassing."

Cartwheel, mean while, had placed both hands over the large rip in Thundercracker's shoulder armor. Her eye lids drooped almost all the way closed. Beneath her long, dark eye lashes, the sweet baby blue innocence of her eyes drained out, as if someone had pulled a plug in some unseen part of her eye balls, and a bright, vibrant red as vivid as blood on white silk replaced the blue. Beneath her hands, the metal reacted oddly; first it drew closer together, then cords of metal, like the sticky strings of dog drool, snapped from one side of the wound to the other. With in moment, the glowing purple innards of Thundercracker ceased to be seen as the wound was closed up without even a welding scar to reveal its existence.

"Heh, where were you four million years ago when I _first_ picked up this job?" Thundercracker chuckled, running a finger down Cartwheel's back in approval.

"In side of you," Cartwheel said, staring at him with her almost glowing red eyes.

"Aaaand Freak-Me-Out Mode has been achieved," Shadowleap said awkwardly, placing his hands on his friend's shoulders. "Come on, 'Wheel, let's go show off!"

With a puff of black smoke, this disappeared, only to appear on the chest of a fallen Decepticon. Cartwheel placed her hands to the wheezing soldier's chest wound and their duties began.

- - - - - - - - - - -

Meanwhile, miles away in New York City, Times Square, Optimus Prime and Bumblebee watched the attack as the Transport City media began to film. Everyone else on the street, and everywhere in the world where the news could be seen, were silent, still, and watching as buildings exploded, people screamed, and Transformers dropped from the sky, seemingly unintentionally flashing their Decepticon symbols in pride as they left their alt forms for their bipedal forms. Suddenly, Optimus Prime turned to his Autobot pilot, a nervous blue and green looking mech.

"Fire up the ship, _now_," Optimus ordered with uncharacteristic animation. "We have to get back there as fast as we can! Come on, Bumblebee!"

Answering with a yes sir from the pilot, the three mechs bolted off towards the docks where their air craft was hovered and waited for further use.

Back on the Times Square jumbo screens, the screen danced around images of a flaming street filled with fighting robots while humans fled like deer from the wild fire. The human woman reporter tried her best to describe what was happening, only being seen briefly as the camera darted back and forth across the scene. She and her small Transformer camera man were running for their lives the whole time, trying to keep from being noticed by the Decepticons.

_"Fire—fire is every where, people are dying, and Transformers are everywhere and— "The_ woman cried out as a building exploded near by. The camera looked at it briefly before zooming in on a group of running teenagers.

_"And-and-and-oh god, this is—Ack!"_ something else exploded. _"Oh GOD, the Decepticons are back and are attacking Transport City! They're everywhere, people are running everywhere, and please, someone help us! Some one—"_

_"Mary, look out!"_ the camera man mech yelled as the camera looked up.

There was a brief out line of a large mech bending over them, reaching a hand out… then white static dominated the screen.


	16. NeoNazis

**Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers. I own the story.**

**Chapter 16: The Neo-Nazis**

**As Transport City was ravaged by the Decepticon forces, Josh Witwicky, Autobot Efforts Anne, Jess, Becky, and Max were lost to detection and Autobot Leader Optimus Prime and the scout and diplomat Bumblebee raced back to the city, a sinister alliance was being crafted in a hidden cave of Germany…**

**Author's Note: I will not be adding German accents because I don't have a grasp of them. Forgive me. XD**

Tanks as big, invincible, and old-looking as dinosaurs and large army trucks and jeeps filled the enormous cavern. A troop of around a hundred men and women stood in a straight line, backs straight and shoulder squared. Their knee-high black leather boots glinted under the lights hooked to the ceiling and their brown uniforms were crisp and clean. The women kept their hair bound in tight buns and the men had their hair cut short. All had the appearance of a cold killer. They were just a fraction of a much larger force. There were at least another seven hundred in other secret stations all around Germany, two hundred in a small hidden place in France, and world wide, four thousand people were apart of the cause. It was a tiny army compared to the total human population, but with each and every one of them trained to be amazing warriors, fast thinkers, and obedient killers, this army of around five to six thousand had the quality to make countries tremble, if only they were known.

In front of this small force in this specific cavern and in front of the army as a whole as their leader marched a man in his thirties with knee-high black boots and elbow-length black gloves. He wore a black belt crossing his waist and extending from his right hip and up and over the left shoulder. He had a long brown coat with numerous pockets donning the chest area and a pistol could be seen tucked into the belt at his side. He wore a peculiar sort of helmet, light brown in color with a brim and a length of cloth hanging from its edges from all sides but over the face, which seemed to frame his face quite well. As if the impressive uniform was not enough, his long, sharp face and impressively tight, hard, firm body figure further filled his aura with superiority over the people assembled.

The final touch to his fearfully powerful figure was his eyes; they were brown-red, like dried blood, and were always twitching across each face of his troops. Sometimes they were cold and calculation. Other times, they were dark and hot-tempered, as if he were ready to strike at the first person who spoke. And other times, they sparkled as his mouth twitched in a barely suppressed smirk or all-out crazy grin. With each change, his men and women tensed, privately praying that nothing of importance would be noticed about _them_ so that they would have to deal with the personalities changing in his eyes.

But they all stayed. Why? Because this man's goal was a goal they believed in enough to follow him without question to the deepest, darkest corners of hell and back, which seemed that he had already been to. So what is he was crazy? They say that people mistake genius with insanity, and this was one of those cases. Besides, they could not leave even if they wanted to. They were in way too deep over their heads and if they jumped ship now, they would drown.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" the man suddenly announced. "We will be having guests today, so do be good people and show them the highest respect!"

"Yes, General Balthazar!" the troops replied together, saluting briefly before resuming their still posts.

A man who seemed to be of the same age as Balthazar walked briskly into the cavern, quickly approaching Balthazar. He wore the same uniform as Balthazar, minus the helmet and with an officer's cap. His hair was blond, combed back, and his pale blue eyes were serious as he came right up beside Balthazar.

"Sir," he whispered, "They are here."

"Thank you, Willium," Balthazar simply stated to his second-in-command.

A roar began in the enormous tunnel leading down to the cave. Everyone turned on their heels as one to face the cavern entrance as the roar grew. Suddenly, a red and white jet flew in, coupled with a black and dark purple hover craft of some sort. The jet transformed into Starscream and the hovercraft, into a black mech with dark orchid-colored moth wings and antennae; Flickword. At any other time, Flickword would be lavender where he was black and lemon yellow where he was orchid, but he had learned from joining the Decepticon army that there were times where you just had to be something else to survive or be taken seriously and these were one of these times.

From Starscream's cock pit leaped a grey space-aged gun that transformed into Megatron. Officer Willium's eyes widened in shock and he took a step back, but remained by Balthazar's side. The human troops cried out and some broke rank to run for the tanks, but their leader's voice brought them back as an angry fire came to his eye.

"Halt!" Balthazar roared. "Did I give permission to flee?"

"Get back here, you dogs!" Willium yelled to convince the last of the stragglers.

Terrified, the soldiers reluctantly came back. Apparently, their fear or respect for their leader out ranked their terror for the Decepticons.

"I am General Balthazar, leader of the Neo-Nazis," Balthazar said, turning and looking up at Megatron. "I am honored that you have chosen to visit me, but if I may ask," he added with a low, respectful bow with his arms open. He peeked up from under the small cap of his flap-bearing desert hat. "Why have you contacted one as humble as me?"

"My sources," Megatron said, speaking German. "Tell me that you are, in some way, related to a Decepticon called Blitzwing, as you were created by Breaker Labs."

Many of the soldiers exchanged looks. True, they had been informed of Balthazar's origin upon swearing their loyalty to him. It was one of the secrets that they were to take to the graves with them. Was it well that this Transformer, leader of the Decepticons or no, knew of Balthazar?

"That is correct," Balthazar said, smirking. "I am the _first_ Effort ever created. Born in the first generation of the Breaker Labs scientists, the men who raised me thought that I was healthy enough to be on my own and hence, allowed me to live on my own at age 18."

"And how did you come to be in…" Megatron looked around at the tanks, trucks, jeeps, and still-trembling, but stone-faced troops, "_This_ position?"

"Following my strange fetish for World War II," Balthazar went on. "I came here, to Germany, where I quickly fell on hard times without experience of the world. One night, in an act of desperation, I took a dare from some rowdy Transformer Sparklings and drank some energon for rent money."

Balthazar paused to reach under his coat and unhook something from his belt. It was a thermos bottle. When he opened it up and sipped from it, there was a brief flash of pink transferring from the thermos to his mouth and the Decepticons' optics widened slightly. Balthazar smirked up at them, whipping the corner of his mouth clean of some remaining energon with the back of his hand as the cold look in his eye was replaced by the twitching, energetic sparkle.

"Got quite interesting after that, yes sir, yes sir," he said, screwing the cap back onto the thermos and replacing it at his side quickly. He was shivering slightly now, as if he were hyped up on black coffee. "Next thing you know, I'm in a mental hospital with three people in my head, always arguing for their turn with the body. Took a while, but we managed to trick the doctors—pretty coats, ugly faces, ugly habits, ugly hobbies with the femme interns in the empty cells, ugly, ugly, ugly-- control ourselves and now we're free, free and running around. We talked to a mech by the name of Gadgetmaker and he got us some fake records so we could get a job at a military academy and—"

The energetic flicker was suddenly yanked aside and replaced by the fiery, angry glow.

"And start looking at things the way they are. Humans are _idiots_, always thinking that they're the superior race. They kill anyone or anything that's smarter than them. They think that they're so superior, that they even waste resources on their weaklings! Think they're so superior, eh? Well, then, let's _show_ them superiority! The Neo-Nazis will not only make _Germany_ a superior land, but we will root out all the weaklings! The retarded, the weak, the sickly, the cancerous, the blind, the deaf, the old, the impure, and the lazy! We will root out all the weaklings of the humans and make them _earn_ their superiority!"

"_Weakness only leads to death!"_ his troops chimed in unison. _"Strength leads to immortality!"_

"And _that_," Balthazar said, reverting to his cool personality, "Is how I got into this position."

The Decepticons stared down at Balthazar. He was clearly crazy, or at least had something off about him. But judging by his troops' obedience and the way Willium stood so proudly and courageously beside Balthazar, knowing full well that he would die, too, if Balthazar were vaporized at that range, also proved that Balthazar ruled, insane or not, to earn the respect of his troops. Starscream and Flickword looked to Megatron to see his reaction. Megatron noticed Starscream's shoulder cannons tilt up slightly and Flickword's large hand clench; they were ready to start blasting these humans at a moment's notice. A slow, amused smirk crossed Megatron's face then grew into an evil grin that was actually followed by a small chuckle.

"Well, General Balthazar," Megatron said, "How would you like being apart of a new army?"

To this, Balthazar smiled coolly and replied, "I have armies hidden all over this little continent of Europe; where should I order my men?"

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Almost a mile under ground beneath Transport City and the sea, Benjamin and several other human law enforcers and guards were helping a thick flow of humans off a subway platform. From there, the humans and small Transformers would head west into a dark tunnel that would lead to another station on land, England. The place was lit up by flash lights and generator-run lights rigged up with wires and hooks to the walls in the last twenty minutes. Small Transformers and larger civilian Transformers alike lit up the scene more with dancing chest lights, reminders of their vehicle alt modes, and their blue optics glowed strangely in the dimness, like metallic ghosts seeking refuge from the war above. Benjamin had to shout to get everyone to hear him, his transforming gun-swore weapon held in hand. Over head, there were distant explosions and booms as the battle continued.

Benjamin had helped assemble such an evacuation once he had realized that the refugees were going to need somewhere to go. He and many of the GAHQ human guards (human guards in a robot base? It's a politics thing) had just barely managed to grab a hold of the situation before it got beyond control. Benjamin had no idea as to what had happened to his friends on the surface; all he knew was that he had to evacuate the people as fast as he could before the Decepticons could locate and blow up the underwater tunnel systems and thus isolate them on the island. Primus, he hoped that the tunnels wouldn't be blown up with people in side them…

"Please calmly follow the crowd down the subway tunnel," he ordered. "The electricity is out and we can not transport you to the main land on the subway train, so you'll have to walk the tunnel to the main land. Please help any one who looks like is in need of help and do not panic or run. Please calmly follow the crowd down the subway tunnel…"

He stopped when two male voices suddenly barked out angrily. Looking down from his perch on one of the subway's rotating gates, Benjamin saw to human men arguing for their turn to go through the gates. Benjamin made a gesture to another guard over the crowd's head before jumping into the crowd and into the fighting ring that had been cleared for the men. The man he had gestured to begun to shout out the evacuation instructions as Benjamin expressed surprising strength to shove the two men apart.

"HEY!" he barked, being louder than he intended and silencing the crowd. "What the hell, you two? The Decepticons are fighting to kill us all over head and you two bum heads are fighting for a chance through the gate? What do you have to say for yourselves?"

The two men exchanged looks, but looked away, shame reddening their faces more than the forming bruises there.

"Don't make it easier for the Decepticons," Benjamin said coldly, shoving one of the men towards a subway's rotating gate. "Alright, we have an entire city to evacuate tonight and we can't go into dramatic life lessons just now, so get going."

Benjamin jumped back up onto his perch as the crowd resumed its path. He smiled shyly when he noticed several of the police officers chaperoning the evacuation flash him the thumbs up sign, but shook it off when rumble over head had dirt shaking down on them from above. Several people shuddered in terror and some little babes cried out in their mother's arms. The pet dogs and cats people were being care enough to bring barked and yowled in warning. Leave it to the children and animals to add a touch of the ominous to the already bad situation. Benjamin resumed yelling out the instructions while in the back of his head he fretted for his friends and father.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Optimus Prime, mean while, was sheathing and unsheathing his plasma axe, swinging it experimentally and spinning it around on his arm. Should it be disturbing that the motions were as familiar as if he had done them yesterday? In human terms, forty years is more than enough time to forget a trade. But then again, they had some sort of complicated spiritual belief that once one finds their niche in life, they are there forever; whether it be a sailor on the sea, or the soldier on the battlefield, their soul would forever thirst for that which was their niche when separated. And hadn't Optimus awoken on more than one night to find his hand transformed into a plasma axe and ready to hack Decepticons apart? Hadn't he just stopped and sighed while on his way to another political meeting, wishing they were talking about something more important than welfare for human workers in Transformer factories? Optimus was relieved, and some what ashamed, that he was glad that they were going back to war; it was a return to what he had known for far too many thousands of years.

_But it will be different this time,_ he vowed. _This war will not rage for eon after eon, ripping planet after planet apart. We will finish this __quickly__, and I, personally, will melt down and eject the remains of Megatron into space myself when we are done!_

Near by in the speeding air craft, Bumblebee was drawing his gun, gulping frequently, and stretching, preparing to come out of the air craft shooting. He may have looked calm, but a closer look could reveal the twitching of his fingers or the jitter of machinery with in him self; he was nervous, as he should be.

Their pilot, mean while, had his optics fixed out side on the sea below them, looking for Transport City… or what was left of it.

"Are we there yet?" Bumblebee asked for the third time in the past ten minutes.

"I'm looking for it! I'm looking for it!" the pilot replied nervously.

"Does this craft have on-board weaponry?" Optimus asked the pilot.

"Y-Yeah, sure, there's some standard laser blasters and some rear-shooters if my partner wasn't bed ridden right now—"

"Bumblebee; man those rear shooters. Pilot; drop me off as close to the Headquarters as you can manage—"

"No, Prime," Bumblebee growled, making Optimus turn to look at the small mech. "Max is still in Transport City. I'm coming."

Optimus looked at the yellow Transformer's sparking blue optics and realized that he had a higher chance of hugging with Megatron than making the scout-come-ambassador-come-back-to-scout stay in an air craft, away from his son. Plus, it looked like Bumblebee would literally sting him if he said no.

"Okay, okay," Optimus surrendered. "We'll get another mech to help our pilot fly into battle against the Decepticons."

"Alright," the pilot chuckled, spotting some smoke on the horizon. "Let's kick some aft."

"Be careful, mech," Optimus warned the pilot, watching as the smoke came closer and closer. "The Decepticons are a force to be reckoned with."

"We're here!" the pilot yelled as they came upon Transport City.

Buildings were on fire, doused only by the down pour that flicked across the city as if it were unsure whether or not to stay. People fled towards the GAHQ or ran in a panicked mass around the streets, seeking safety from the attacking Decepticons that shot laser fire down on them from the sky and dropped out of the clouds like bat-winged demons of hell. People bounded away from the Decepticons like deer fleeing from the hunter's shot. Autobot soldiers and even just plain citizens were doing battle against the Decepticons. One could spot the professional from the amateur by how they fought; professionals had a certain smart style to their fighting; guns, martial arts, and clever hand-to-hand combat. Amateurs looked like they had turned their duels into a fist-to-fist boxing match. Optimus' optics blazed as the battle spirit took him over when he saw a Transformer mother and her son approached by a mandible-faced mech that was grinning vilely.

"Pilot," Optimus growled. "Go to the headquarters and look for Autobot Jazz or Autobot Prowl; they'll find something for you to do. Tell them Bumblebee and Optimus Prime are in the eastern end of the city fighting Decepticon forces there and to send a small force as back up to us when they get the chance."

Thus stating his orders, Optimus punched the button to open the craft's doors and leaped from the craft. Bumblebee made an exclamation of surprise, peeking out of the bay doors and looking down to watch Optimus' decent. Optimus landed with a resounding crash in the pavement between the femme and Sparkling and the Decepticon. Both parties reared back in surprise as Optimus stood straight and shot the Decepticon, point-blank.

"Show off," Bumblebee chuckled. "Well," he said to the pilot, "Looks like someone has to watch his back."

"Good luck!" the pilot laughed, suddenly speeding up the craft.

Knocked off balance by the sudden pull, Bumblebee fell out of the craft as it sped off towards the headquarters, landing on top of a Decepticon sneaking up behind Optimus.

"Good move, Bumblebee!" Optimus complimented, pulling the sore Bumblebee to his feet off of the unconscious Decepticon. "Help me round up some people and get them to the base. Quickly, now! Before the Decepticons surround us!"

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Balthazar and his second-in-command, Willium, watched the attack from with in a hovercraft-formed Flickword, standing on its control council amongst the buttons and switches. To their side were Megatron, Soundwave, and Starscream. Soundwave had only joined them recently and one could hear the puff of air in his coolant systems as he caught his artificial breath; he had been _very_ busy and had apparently just barely managed to make it to this rendezvous on time. When Megatron had asked him of it, he had said something about separating prisoners and turbo foxes defending their mistress's honor. No one dared venture further, although Balthazar had seemed to have had to keep one of his personalities in check from saying something rude.

Now Megatron watched the human and Decepticon Effort expressionlessly behind their backs. Starscream kept grimacing behind his back at the humans, clearly in distaste of the creatures' alliance, until Soundwave smacked him upside the head. Starscream looked at Soundwave with wide optics, surprised at the unexpected strike, but shuffled his feet and looked down at them, ceasing his face making. He guessed that Soundwave must not be having a good day to actually do something without Megatron's orders.

The second Balthazar had accepted Megatron's proposal just a little over two hours ago (Primus, was it really that short of a time ago?), things had moved _fast_. Megatron had tested Balthazar's leadership and abilities, instantly ordering the lost Decepticon Effort to send his troops to Transport City and begin the attack on an aquatic front: Submarines shot low while boats sent in troops in the middle and Decepticons fought from high. Balthazar and Willium had had to come with Megatron personally, and while the orders had been on extremely short notice, they had been carried out. Such was a benefit while raging war in cramped little Europe: Every other nation as a stone's throw away from your own. As of how the caches of war power had come from was another clever wink and chuckle; so many abandoned train tunnels and underground caverns from failed sub-ground subway projects, so little time…

Now in the star ship, Balthazar's face twitched oddly and narrowed in a grimace of hate. He shook his head and placed a gloved hand to his head, closing his eyes as something like anger and concentration shivered across his face. When he opened his eyes, he lowered his hands and looked at Megatron without turning his head much.

"My angry side is impatient and wants to know when we may send our troops in."

"And your crazy side says…?" Starscream inquired sarcastically. Starscream was still completely against having the schizophrenic general as an ally; he compared it to throwing their lot in with wolves.

"We're all crazy!" Balthazar exclaimed cheerfully, his face breaking out into a huge grin, "Crazy as the Cheshire cat in indigo paint!"

Balthazar closed his eyes and placed both hands over his cheeks, growling deep in his chest.

"Stupid split personalities," he growled, using his deeper, gruffer personality. "Always begging for more room in one body…"

This made Megatron think back to almost a week ago…seeing metal sprout from flesh as all weakness disappeared…

"I have an idea as to how we can fix that," Megatron said. "But first, to satisfy your angry self; yes, you may send your men in. Clean up that which my mechs have missed."

"You heard him, Willium," Balthazar said, dropping one hand from his cheeks. He smirked as he opened one eye and looked at his blond second-in-command. "Let us test our troops."

Willium nodded and unclipped a communicator from his belt and held it to his mouth.

"Order from General Balthazar," he said in German to the troops listening in. "Attack. Clean off what ever the initial sweep missed. Beware of the two surviving British navy battle ships around the south eastern docks; they're putting up a good fight."

Below, white streaks of disturbed water appeared in the sea as black submarines surfaced. Beneath them, missiles launched and blasted towards the docks, exploding them. On the docks, people trying to flee the island on ferry boats and personal fishing boats were incinerated and blown into the water and air as the missiles hit home. Large army-issue boats sped between the submarines, speeding toward the island with tank, jeeps, and soldiers with in them. Upon landing on what docks that were not blown into infinity, jeeps and army trucks loaded with proud swastika-wearing equipment and soldiers rolled out into the city. They professionally spread out to set up a guard line for the landing areas before beginning to spread out cautiously, gaining what land they could. They mercilessly shot down or drove over who ever got in their way, whether it was human or Transformer or even a stray mutt.

"You trained them well, sir," Willium commented.

"We did," Balthazar said, nodding grimly. "We did…"

Behind him, Megatron smiled. So far, there was nothing to make him regret his decision.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

"I'm sorry, sir, but Master Mirage has already flown for Mission City with Masters Gears and Hound a couple hours ago," the servant femme informed Michelangelo. "They understand the seriousness of the situation."

"Thank you, ma'am, you have been of a great help," Michelangelo told her with a respectful nod. Turning, he ran back to a waiting, jet-form Skyfire, who was parked on the lawn in front of Mirage's mansion in California. MJ and Skyfire had been unable to call Prowl off his chase around Los Angeles for Becky, even when the war broke out and it became even more important that they recruit their mechs. Hence, MJ and Skyfire had left the frantic, snappy Prowl in the care of the Los Angeles Police Department and continued their mission on their own. But thus far, it seemed like every mech they were supposed to pick up had run on ahead to Transport City on their own choosing.

MJ dropped into one of Skyfire's pilot chairs in his cock pit as the sentient space jet lifted up into the air.

"Who's next?" MJ yawned.

A column of light flickered into life beside him and a human-sized Skyfire appeared standing by MJ; Skyfire's hologram, created for comfort purposes should he ever be carrying important guests like politicians.

"Don't you think you should take a break?" Skyfire asked. "We've been running all up and down the Americas for the past ten hours without rest."

"I'm not tired, are you tired?" MJ asked. To counter his point, another yawn crossed his face.

"Go to sleep, Michel," Skyfire ordered gently. "You need it."

The chair MJ was sitting in lowered its back, making it flat enough for an excuse of a bed. MJ wanted to protest, but he _was_ tired, and the time zone switching was doing a number on his internal clock.

"Alright, Dad, alright," MJ yawned.

But a funny engine noise, made MJ sit up, shaking the sleep from his head.

"Dad?" he asked. "Do you need some sleep, too?"

"No," Skyfire replied after a tense moment, his hologram shaking its head. "I just got a message from Jazz back at the Headquarters; Josh, Jesse, and Anne have been kidnapped and no one can find or reach Max."

"Oh no, and the others…?" MJ asked.

"Jack Turbine has been knocked unconscious. Only Benjamin remains free. But Michel, I—"

Skyfire stopped short, making MJ even more curious.

"Yes, father, what is it?" MJ asked.

"Get some sleep," Skyfire said, his hologram form disappearing swooping low over a farm house they were passing over. "I'll keep recruiting."

Somehow, MJ knew that was _not_ what Skyfire wanted to say.

**Sunny's and Side's Sub-Chapter #1**

"Sideswipe!" Sunstreaker roared. "The weapons cache was three hundred miles back _there_! Why the slag are we hauling aft all the way to America!? How bad is your sense of direction??"

"Prowl's in Los Angeles and we need him," Sideswipe replied, flying the borrowed star cruiser down upon the famed city. "Did you see the condition of the headquarters back there? The only bit of sensibility was around Benjamin and Jazz! Prowl's just the sort of stiff aft who can fix that and get us kicking Decepti-creep aft again."

"Wait, you _want_ Prowl back? Who are you and what have you done to my brother?" Sunstreaker demanded, pulling out his gun and pointing it at Sideswipe's head.

"I also want to grab some femme tin before the war makes me a cold mech again," Sideswipe admitted.

"That's better," Sunstreaker said in approval, holstering his gun as Sideswipe landed their star cruiser in an abandoned parking lot. Passing humans looked up, but didn't even bother investigating; their lives were odd enough with celebrities, what matter was a star cruiser?

"Come on," Sideswipe said, leading the way out of the cruiser, "We got to find Prowl, talk him back into his stiff-aft mood, then grab some femme tin before going back to the Pit of Transport City."

"Where do we start looking for him?" Sunstreaker asked, standing in the broken up parking lot.

In response, a police cruiser screamed its sirens as it sped by their parking lot. It suddenly slid to its side and stood, becoming Prowl. Prowl looked around, his optics glowing a bright blue, almost white, color as he scanned his surroundings. A Los Angeles police cruiser approached him from up the street at a much calmer pace and turned into a Transformer. The other cruiser tried saying something, apparently to calm him down. Prowl looked at the other Transformer cop… then punched him in the face. The other cop had not even hit the pavement in an unconscious state before Prowl had transformed back into a patroller and sped off through Los Angeles.

After a minute, Sunstreaker suddenly declared, "Not it!"

"Oh come _on_, man!" Sideswipe whined as Sunstreaker transformed and sped away.

But Sunstreaker had already declared "Not it" and thus Sideswipe had to follow Prowl on a quest to get him to come back to Transport City.

Sideswipe prayed to Primus that there was a better life after this.

**AN: If you already know who Balthazar will become; cookies to you, but don't blurt it out! If you're wondering why, simple: He's one of the coolest, most fun characters ever to be created in the Transformers franchise and is most defiantly adding an element of entertainment to the story. To those who don't know him: Cool, the surprise isn't ruined. But you'll see…**


	17. Finally Meeting

**Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers. I own the story.**

**Chapter 17: Finally Meeting**

Max woke up with an aching head in a dark warehouse. The fact that an annoying silent TV hum was whistling in his ear and that head-pounding explosions could be heard in the distance was _not_ helping with the head ache part. He could hear the sounds of fighting outside, his stomach was growling, his tongue felt like leather in his mouth, he ached all over, it was cold, and his butt was wet from sitting on wet pavement. His hands were being held against their will high over his head. Looking up, he saw that they were handcuffed around an old pipe right up against the wall.

Looking to his right, he saw Josh and Becky tied up in a similar manner. In front of them was a mammoth of an off-line production machine. Jess and Anne were handcuffed in a similar manner as to Max, Josh, and Becky against this machine. Max was across from Jess, Josh was alone in the center, and Becky and Anne were facing each other at the other end. All were awake, silent, scared, and miserable.

The warehouse they were in still had some massive production machines, but what few machines were left had been shut down. New massive crates of supplies were scattered here and there and the night-time warehouse was lit up by large lights on poles, similar to those used on photography sets. Two standard army jeeps and four army trucks, all dark green, bore the Nazi symbol and were parked around the warehouse as their human operators set up tables and equipment for a base of operations. To the side was a black army jeep accented in yellow with a red Decepticon symbol proudly stamped on its side doors. Sitting around and on some of the large crates near the kids were two "small" (meaning just-above-human-sized) Transformers, a robotic black panther, and black, red, and white robot bird: Rumble, Frenzy, Ravage, and Laserbeak. Also with them was the same blue-haired boy that had attacked them the other night on the penthouse roof and the red-haired babe who had kidnapped Max.

"Damn," Max chuckled, looking at the girl. "Never trust a hot chick, eh?"

The girl came forward and stuck a green army-issue canteen into Max's mouth.

"Drink," she ordered.

Josh stared at the girl, staring at her with a mixture of hate and fascination. Becky looked away, trying to hide her fear. Jess shook her head at Max and Anne actually _hissed_ at the strange girl. Max ignored Jess and took a sip, being desperate for water.

Max found that what ever was in the canteen was _delicious_ and eagerly sucked down as much as he could before it was taken away. As he drank, he felt his sores fade from his body as it warmed up and his stomach's voice placidly fell into slumber, being stated, and his thirst was attended to, all at the same time. When the canteen was finally removed from Max's lips, a new, energetic spark was in his blue eyes. He licked his lips eagerly, looking for more of the liquid there.

"Wow!" he exclaimed. "What in the universe _is_ that? I mean, I've had coffee and energy drinks before, but that stuff takes the cake!"

"Oh, it's an energy drink, alright," the teenage girl said with a devilish smile.

She took a gulp from the canteen and tilted her head back to gurgle on the drink. Max's eyes widened when he saw a pink glow from her mouth. She swallowed and smirked at Max as she screwed the cap back on the canteen.

"It's called energon," she finished.

"Energon…?" Max squeaked. His mind raced for a moment. "Am I going to die?"

"Well, they made us drink some of it a few hours ago sense they didn't have any food or water," Jess said. "And we're not dead yet, so I guess not."

"I don't see why you're so afraid of drinking energon," the girl said, tossing the canteen to Frenzy. "I mean, Energon is a source of life for Transformers and us Efforts. It's just poisonous to humans."

"Hey, hot babe, who are you and what the Hell is going on?" Max asked.

"The name's _Smartmouth_, boy," the girl snarled. "And this is Rumble, Frenzy, Laserbeak, Ravage, and Skynet. We've been charged with keeping you Autobot brats until Megatron feels that it's time to strike a deal with the Autobots."

"Um… Josh? Explain?" Max asked, looking at his friend. "Last I remember, I was wallowing in my own self pity when hot-legs-in-a-skirt here knocked me out."

"The Decepticons are back and are attacking the city," Anne said. "We've been kidnapped as bargaining chips for the Decepticons. Smartmouth and Skynet… they're two of the Decepticon Efforts Dr. Moriguchi was talking about."

"That old man is still alive?" Smartmouth hissed. "Oh _Primus_ I have something to show him…"

"Don't get why you'd hate him," Becky muttered, finally speaking. "If he created us, he created you; he gave you _life._"

"But he also did things that easily neutralize that," Smartmouth said quietly, shuddering in disgust. "Horrible things."

"So, uh, I guess being a Decepticon Effort isn't all it's cracked up to be, eh? At least you're hot." Max asked.

"Don't you ever shut up?" Smartmouth sighed.

"No, he does not," all the Autobot Efforts replied.

"You should see Josh when he starts with me," Becky said, rolling her eyes.

"It's only because one can speak for an eternity about your beauty and still fail to give it its full due," Josh cooed.

"Ooh, you have to admit," Max said. "That was good."

Agreements came from all around, the Decepticon robots included.

"Primus damn you," Becky hissed.

"Hey, at least Becky has competition now," Anne said, looking up at Smartmouth.

"Oh _please_, like I _want_ to be hit on by some human?" Smartmouth said, rolling her eyes. "I'm not contaminating the gene pool that way. Skynet, where the hell is Ferrofluid? He was going to bring me a better outfit than this," She grimaced as she picked at the hem of her summer dress. "_Girly _thing."

Ravage purred and Laserbeak tweeted affectionately. Frenzy and Rumble laughed.

"Ravage and Laserbeak like you like that," Rumble laughed. "They said that the yellow-head has a good point; you got good legs."

"Ravage and Laserbeak need some femmes," Smartmouth muttered. "Or get a better taste in jokes."

Max whistled.

"And you need to go back to sleeping before I make you take a dirt nap."

A small engine purr drew everyone's attention to the other end of the warehouse where a set of double doors was. After a moment, someone banged on the door outside and the doors were pulled open to let in a small electric Transport City taxi. Overhead, a black and yellow robot bird in the same body format as Laserbeak glided uncertainly into the warehouse before crash-landing on the crate perch beside Laserbeak. The smoking yellow and black bird sat up, shaking himself off uncertainly. Metal shrapnel fell off of him and laser fire had singed quite a bit of him. The Nazis glanced briefly at it before going back to their duties as the taxi rolled over to the Efforts' prison area.

"Ugh, _finally_," Smartmouth groaned. "Here comes a decent pair of pants."

"Can I jump in them?" Max joked.

"Are all guys perverted, or is it just you?" Smartmouth sighed.

"Actually, Josh talks like this all the time to Becky, so no."

The taxi parked and turned off as Rumble went over to examine the black and yellow robot bird. Out of the taxi came the same driver that had driven them to the Lamborghini Twins' place to pick up his Mustang just, what was it, a day or two ago?

"Steven? The taxi cab driver?" Josh asked dumbly.

"The _name_ is _Ferrofluid_," the driver growled, tossing a black duffle bag to Smartmouth. "Here, Smarts, I looted this from an out door hunting store. For a city with no hunting game, it has some well stocked out door supplies stores."

Smartmouth muttered thanks before taking the duffle bag behind some crates.

"Jeez, Ferrofluid," Rumble said, petting Buzzsaw. "Buzzsaw was supposed to be an emergency escort, not your one-mech guardian platoon!"

"It was busy out there," Ferrofluid stated. "Plus, he got somewhat _lost_ when he and Solarflare had to separate during a fight."

As Ferrofluid spoke, he removed his news boys' cap and rubbed at his hair. Josh and Max's eyes widened as the light brown color of his hair flaked off and revealed lavender beneath it. Once the majority of his hair had been restored to its unusual natural color, Ferrofluid began changing out of his blue shirt, jeans, and denim jacket as he spoke.

"So, how are out prisoners?" he inquired. "Not too much trouble, I hope?"

"Well," Frenzy answered, "the yellow-haired one is a flirt, the human has a _loud_ set of pipes, the black-haired girl almost ripped Ravage's ear off when he got too close, the red-haired one's got a mouth worse than Starscream's on his worst day—"

"Wait, wait, Ravage--? When did _that_ all happen?" Max asked.

"While you were drooling on my shoulder in your sleep," Josh answered.

Rumble continued, "And the big one had this _really_ neat gun that—"

"Excuse me!" Jess yelled in agitation as Rumble picked up Pointblank from behind him on the crate. "I happen to be a perfectly average size seven! What do you mean 'big'!? And second of all; you put Pointblank down _now_!"

"I'm just saying that you're a bit thicker than most humans," Rumble said with a shrug. "But that's okay, considering you're so blasted easy to break anyway."

"When I get Pointblank back, you are dead."

"Bring it on, sister."

"Oh no, Grind!" Max exclaimed, realizing that his skateboard and its harness was gone. "Where's my beloved partner in crime?"

Frenzy rolled his optics under his visor, but pulled Grind out from behind him and held the skateboard up.

"Please don't hurt it," Max pleaded pathetically.

Ferrofluid adjusted the collar of his jacket one last time and turned to the Decepticons, raising his hands in show. He was now wearing a pale bluish-purple business suit, specially tailored for his own slim, lean frame. His shoulder-length, silky lavender hair had been tied up in a small pony tail, but he still wore large shades over his eyes. With his hair pulled back, the prisoners noticed that he had a small silver ear piece in his ear.

"So," he asked. "What do you think?"

"Better than that stupid uniform you kept wearing," Frenzy snorted. "That thing got old _fast."_

"You had a uniform?" Anne inquired.

"Yes," Smartmouth called over from her hiding place. "Where _we_ were raised, we weren't considered a person enough to have our own wardrobes."

Anne, Jess, Josh, Max, and Becky all exchanged glances. What kind of life _had_ these Decepticon Efforts been living? Now that they thought about it, none of them had seriously thought about the other Efforts beyond the fact that they were Decepticons…

"Honestly, Ferrofluid," Smartmouth said, coming out from behind the crate she had been changing behind. "Do you know my size or are you just grabbing things at random?"

Smartmouth was now dressed in dark red jeans with knee-high dark grey boots to match the patches of dark grey cloth on the shoulders and elbows of the dark red jacket she wore on top. Under her jacket, she wore a white shirt. She tied her long blood-red hair up in a pony tail with a white hair band as she came out. The duffle bag that the clothes had been in was now slung over one shoulder with the summer dress stuffed in side it. The clothes, sure enough, looked just a little out of size on her, but not enough to look shrunken on her or fall off. They also had a dash of the pirate image to her, but not enough to make it embarrassingly out of style or place.

"At least it matches your own colors," Ferrofluid said, smiling.

"As the Boss would say," Frenzy said, flashing double thumbs-up, "Attraction: Maximum."

"You _seriously_ need femmes," Smartmouth groaned, shaking her head."Where are the others?"

"On their missions," Ferrofluid replied. "The new Effort, General Balthazar, wants to check all us Efforts out, so once we get the other Efforts, he's going to be dropping by to say hi."

"Balthazar, mmm, he's the crazy Nazi guy, right?" Smartmouth inquired.

"Yes; he is schizophrenic," Ferrofluid agreed.

"Wow, we find out there's another Decepticon Effort and he's a crazy Nazi guy and a nut case of walnuts over Hitler's rejects' descendants," Smartmouth sighed. "Wonderful."

The nearest human soldier, how ever, did _not_ take this well. Dropping the crate of radio equipment where he stood, he turned on them and yelled over to them something in German. His near by friend jumped in surprise, looking from the dropped equipment to the shouting soldier and back again.

"English, bugger, _English_!" Rumble called back, teasing the soldier by feigning an inability to understand all languages.

"Balthazar is good leader!" the soldier snarled. "You do _not_ call him 'crazy Nazi guy'! You do _not_!"

Another Nazi called over in better English, "And we are not 'Hitler's rejects'! We are crusaders who are carrying on the Fuehrer's mission—"

"Okay, okay, I won't call you all crazy again," Smartmouth said, rolling her eyes as she made a calm-down gesture to the men. "Keep your pants on…"

"Who's Balthazar?" Jess asked. "And who are those guys?" she added, nodding over to the Germens.

"Men of Balthazar's Neo-Nazi army," Smartmouth replied. "They are finishing up where Hitler left off and are teamed with the Decepticons. General Balthazar is a lost Decepticon Effort. We haven't even met him yet."

"Ah, Nazis, eh?" Max said boldly. "Well, it's a good thing that Benjamin will know what to do with them! He's been to the Germens' military schools _three times_. He'll kick their butts… once he gets troops."

"Um, Max," Anne told Max, "There are more than just Germens here; I heard some French people talking among them."

"The French? Like _that_'_s_ something to be afraid of?"

"Won't your friend, Benjamin, simply come chasing after us?" Smartmouth interrupted.

"Um, no, why would he?" Josh asked. "It would be irrational, dumb, poorly thought out and… just not… _Benjamin."_

"Well, if he _does_ come," Frenzy said, waving Pointblank over his head. "Then we'll just blast him with this!"

Frenzy tossed the gun, spinning, into the air and Rumble caught it, laughing in agreement. Jess wailed in despair for the treatment of her gun.

Skynet moved for the first time since Max woke up. He stood and snatched Pointblank away from Rumble. He held the gun up, letting Jess see it. Then he went over to where Smartmouth had dumped her duffle bag and with drew the discarded dress from it. He showed the dress and gun one last time to Jess before wrapping Pointblank in the dress and setting it in the duffle bag. He firmly zipped the duffle bag up before sitting down against a crate, knees almost folded to his chest, and slid the bag under the arch his legs made, thus protecting the bag and its contents.

Everybody was awkwardly silent for several minutes, unable to understand exactly what had just happened. Max expected someone to bring it up, but apparently, Skynet was a boy no one wanted to question. Smartmouth spoke up, getting the conversation back on track without addressing the mute Skynet.

"Well if Autobot Effort Benjamin won't come, then he must not care very much for you," Smartmouth said as she zipped up her jacket. "I mean, what kind of Efforts would he be if he wouldn't risk life and limb to protect his fellow Efforts?"

"Um, we never needed to 'risk life and limb' because we never needed to protect each other," Max pointed out. "Hell, Jess uses me as target practice and Anne wants to kill us half the time!"

Anne and Josh were nodding to agree with Max. Smartmouth and Ferrofluid looked at Max in surprise and exchanged looks. Apparently, the idea of Efforts harming Efforts was new to them.

"Ah, I see," Smartmouth said, turning her back on the prisoners. "You are spoiled. You have no idea of the bond you share with your fellow Transformer-human comrades."

"Girl, does whatever you smoke make you go whacko _and_ make you hot, or just makes you go whacko?" Max asked.

His answer was a resounding slap across the face.

**Sunny's and Side's Sub-Chapter #2**

* * *

Sunstreaker strutted out of the Transformers hotel, feeling rather on top of the world. He had heard that Earth-raised Transformer femmes were wild things and had picked up a few things from their human friends, but Primus, he hadn't realized what fun those things were! He counted his lucky stars that he wound up with three such femmes that night. After their fun pillow fight and a horror movie that had ended in the girls running around the hotel room screaming and him laughing his head off, he had decided to come outside for some air. Now he stood outside the back of the hotel, looking up at the distant Hollywood sign in the distance. He wondered how Sideswipe was doing talking to Prowl and considered when the police would come to tell him that Prowl had killed Sideswipe. He was pulled from his thoughts when the door he had came out of opened and a certain Autobot boom box came outside.

The boom box failed to notice Sunstreaker. Sunstreaker watched as the Autobot drew out a box of Transformer cigarettes; Earthling herbs wrapped in a giant cigarette and infused with energon powders and an invention by Earthling tobacco companies. Long-term smoking could lead to dried out coolant lines and dirty, clogged air cooling systems; an expensive system-overhaul replacement or death. It was as addictive as nicotine for humans and Sunstreaker had just barely managed to stop the habit almost before it began, but he still had a craving for energon cigarettes ones in a while.

"I never took you for the type to smoke, Blaster" Sunstreaker spoke up.

Blaster looked up, almost dropping his box. When he saw Sunstreaker, he put a cigarette to his metal lips and tucked the rest of the box in his chest compartment. He drew out a Transformer-sized lighter and lit his cigarette up as he spoke.

"There's a type?" he simply asked.

"I thought Skyfire recruited you."

"I said no." The end of the cane-sized cigarette glowed purple and purple smoke drifted up from the end.

"No? But you're an Autobot. Even _I_ would acknowledge a summons."

"I'm through with the war life, Sunny. I'm just a DJ trying to keep himself happy long enough to make his listeners happy before he drags himself home to listen to the demons in his head."

"Are you sure they're not just memories?"

Blaster looked at Sunstreaker, blowing out purple smoke that glowed slightly. His blue optics were glowing like the eyes of a blue-eyed demon in the darkness.

"What are you driving at, Sunny?" Blaster asked.

"Everyone knows how broken up you are about loosing your cassettes, but you have to accept that they're gone," Sunstreaker replied. "They wouldn't have wanted you to wallow in your own pity."

"Who says I'm wallowing?"

"You're smoking, a habit that I _know_ is only picked up by troubled mechs, you're in a grade-C hotel," Blaster looked away, optics drooping in guilt. "And I know for sure that you have no gal for yourself. On top of that… you're not Blaster."

"What?" Blaster asked, looking back up at Sunstreaker.

"You're not exploding glass with the rock music blasting from your body," Sunstreaker went on. "Prowl hasn't complained about getting you out of noise complaint police trouble for a long time, and none of the other DJ's on Earth are using you as an example for the coolest DJ anymore. You're not Blaster. You're just some looser a step away from drowning himself in a fine cube of cheap Energon—"

Blaster clenched his cigarette between gritted teeth plates and shoved Sunstreaker up against the wall. Sunstreaker's optics flared when he felt paint get chipped from his back, but he simply stared back into Blaster's enraged optics.

"Shut up!" the boom box 'Former snarled, "Shut up and get off your high horse, Sunstreaker! What about you, huh? What's a conceited _aft head_ like you doing here in Los Angeles? Your brother's antics finally caught up to him and he's in a little bit of legal trouble?"

"Sideswipe and I are here," Sunstreaker informed calmly, "Because we need to talk Prowl to come back to Transport City with us and help straighten the chaos that is reigning over there while it's being shot up by Decepticons. Prowl's been in a mad frenzy because Becky has been kidnapped."

As he finished, Sunstreaker pulled the cigarette from Blaster's mouth and ground its end against the wall of the hotel. Blaster, looking shell-shocked, let go of Sunstreaker and stepped back. Sunstreaker brushed himself off, suppressing the urge to break Blaster's legs for scratching the paint on his back.

"I live here," Blaster said, making Sunstreaker look up. "I can't afford an apartment… too expensive."

"I know, Blaster. You stink of hotel cleaning things. But on the most serious side, Blaster; don't let yourself go like this. Why do you think I'm such a jerk? I lost friends in the past, back in the beginning of the war, to Decepticons, due to my antics, too, just like you and the cassettes. I lost the rest of my friends by doing what you're doing; being a self-pitying piece of aft, until all I had left was my brother. I act like a jerk so no one will be dumb enough to jump into the fiery Pit with me and die, but most days, when people roll their eyes at me and my attitude, I know that it's not worth it. Blaster, take it from a mech who's fallen from grace from a height higher than you would expect; it's better to make friends and loose them than to push them away and have none, even if you wind up falling when they're lost.

"Don't loose your friends, Blaster. Don't waste your life away in mourning. Get back up and live; I thought being around humans so much would teach you that, considering that they see or experience death all the time."

Thus spoken, Sunstreaker went back into the hotel. Behind him, Blaster stared after him as he drew his pack of energon cigarettes out, but stared at them, lost in thought.


	18. Garden Grab

**Disclaimer: Hasbro owns Transformers. I own the story.**

**Chapter 18: Garden Grab**

By the time night had come again to Transport City, three days after the Efforts' sixteenth birthday party, the battle had ebbed around the GAHQ, moving east to where a _human_ force appeared to be on the ground and helping the Decepticons. This had been a confusing shocker when scouts and refugees running in from that end of the city spoke of such a force, but things became clearer when they reported that the enemy humans were wearing swastikas. Some how, it seemed oddly fitting that the most evil factions ever birthed on Earth and on Cybertron were to fight side by side in a place where the species mixed.

Benjamin was exhausted. After helping to move refugees through the shut down subway tunnel to the main land, he had had to help the remaining human fighters assemble into squads and sub-divisions with proper leaders, help plan battle tactic with them, and take stock of inventory. There were emergency energon producing machines that could create a steady supply of energon for the base for the next _eon_ as long as their solar panels continued to work efficiently; a chance that would grow slimmer and slimmer as the Decepticons continued their attacks. Water was in abundance as long as the salt-filtering technology in the pipes continued to operate. It was the food that worried Benjamin. Rationed, what the base had could be distributed among the five hundred or so humans and keep them alive for a month. Two, if their numbers had dropped as badly as they had this first full day of fighting. They would need to find more, especially if or when the other countries sent reinforcements.

But what worried Benjamin more than the food shortage were his friends and his father. Where were they? Last time he had officially heard from his father was when he was making his speech to the world from the lap of the United Nations in New York City, New York. Rumor had it that he had landed with Bumblebee somewhere in the eastern end of the city, taking charge of the fighting there, but he had been unable to make contact with HQ due to anti-communications drones floating in the air, hiding from sight with invisibility cloaking devices and in crooks and niches out of sight. And his friends had all been kidnapped with an exception of MJ, who was still re-recruiting mechs all up and down the Americas. Were Optimus and his friends alive? Were they hurt? What would they think of Benjamin's handiwork here at the base? Primus, Benjamin was worried about them…

Something moved.

Benjamin came back to the real world where he was sitting in the northern park of the east-facing GAHQ. The greenery was fried in several places where the Decepticon laser fire had toasted it, but Benjamin had found a stone bench to sit and rest his weary feet on. Now he sat up and looked around, eyes sharp and his hand on the handle of his gun. If the movement was hostile, he was _not_ going to be caught off guard again like the night on the penthouse roof.

Standing up, Benjamin looked around. There wasn't much for anyone to hide behind. He stepped forward slowly and quietly, looking for the cause of the noise. Then he heard something behind him and to his right.

Spinning around, Benjamin raised his gun at the mover.

"Hold it right there!" he ordered.

But, much to his surprise, he was not pointing his gun at an invader, or even an adult for that matter, but two small children. One was blonde with blue and black streaked pig tails, dressed in a blue dress, and the other was a hansom little boy. They clung to each other, staring at Benjamin with enormous doe eyes. Benjamin holstered his gun and approached them slowly. As he approached them, he became aware of a strange, silent whistling in his ear, like a silent TV that was turned on.

"Oh, kids," he cooed. "I'm sorry, I'm just a little nervous. Where're your parents?"

"Um… they're… around?" the boy suggested as he shifted from foot to foot nervously.

Benjamin looked around as he said, "Well, come along and let's get you inside before anything bad happens. It's very dangerous to be outside now, you know."

"Hey, Benjamin," Jazz called, approaching the children. "I heard you were here so I came over to check if you're alright. That was an awfully lot of stuff you did for your first day of war and—"

Jazz froze in mid-step, staring at the trio. Benjamin was just a few feet away from them. After a long moment, he lowered on foot, but kept his gaze fixed on the two children.

"Benjamin," Jazz said with deadly seriousness. "Whose children are those?"

"I don't know, Jazz," Benjamin replied. "They wandered into the park some how and—"

"They're Efforts!" Jazz exclaimed. "They have Transformer compounds!"

"Time to go!" the little boy declared, grasping the hand of his female companion in one hand and Benjamin's hand in the other.

He began to loose his color and become a black shadow, dissolving into smoke, but Jazz dove forward, catching Benjamin in one hand. The other reached right through the disappearing boy and caught up the little girl instead.

"Oh, no you don't!" Jazz declared.

"Go, Shadowleap, go!" the little girl yelled.

Jazz sat up, but Shadowleap had dissolved into a mass of black shadows. Jazz looked around, scanning his surroundings for any sight of the boy, but he was gone. Growling shortly in annoyance, he set Benjamin down, then held up the struggling little girl.

"Easy, honey, easy," Jazz ordered softly, "I'm not gonna hurt ya!"

"Let me go!" the little girl yelled. "I said let me go! Lemme go!"

"I will when I know you won't go running off when I put you down," Jazz said gently.

"Little Miss," Benjamin called up to the little girl, making Jazz lower his hands so the two may see each other better. "What is your name?"

"Lemme go!" the girl yelled.

"Well, Lemme Go," Benjamin said. "We'll put you down when we know that we can trust you and that'll start when you start telling us what's going on, Miss Lemme Go—"

"My name is not Lemme Go; it's Cartwheel," the little girl sniffled, "And I just wanna go home!"

"Where is home, sweetie?" Jazz asked.

"With me," a ne w voice growled.

Jazz and Benjamin looked up and saw a pair of red optics glowing in the darkness of the park. They belonged to the tall, _very_ angry looking form of Thundercracker. His optics were glowing a deep red like the coals of hell itself, making something in Benjamin assume the fetal position and hide. The twin spots of red light in the darkness was spooky enough to make Benjamin remember why glowing red eyes are so freaking terrifying and why they're the perfect symbol of all things bad in the universe.

"Put her down. Now," Thundercracker ordered, raising his gun to point at Jazz. "Or you are _dead_."

A weird humming zip noise sounded out and a purple flash lit up the night and Skywarp appeared, standing by Thundercracker. The little boy, Shadowleap, was sitting on Skywarp's shoulder. Both glared down at Benjamin and Jazz as they crossed their arms.

Benjamin unhooked his communicator from his belt and yelled into it."Two Decepticons in the eastern park! Request back up! Decepticons are Thundercracker and Skywarp, requesting back up—"

A puff of black shadows appeared flung itself at Benjamin with surprising force and he found himself sprawled on his back on the ground a few feet away from his standing spot, his communicator lost. Shadowleap formed from the puff of black shadows, looking far from innocent.

"Nice hit, kid," Benjamin grunted, regaining his feet. "But I don't want to hurt you."

"Neither do I," the other boy said, shrugging, "Fortunately, all I need to do is take you in so that the Boss can talk with your Boss over a hostage situation."

"I'm afraid that that is not negotiable," Benjamin stated.

He drew out his gun and pressed a button on the handle of it. Tubes flattened and metal shifted as the round barrel flattened down into a flat, sharp, black blade.

"Your bruises," Shadowleap said with a shrug.

Then the boy suddenly disappeared in a burst of black smoke, only to reappear behind him and punch at Benjamin hard. Fortunately, Benjamin was still wearing his training armor and thus, when he shrugged a shoulder to block the punch, knuckled only met hard plastic and metal.

"This is going to make _such_ a guilt trip," Benjamin muttered, turning to fight Shadowleap.

Jazz, mean while, was in hot, hot, _hot_ water. In one hand, he had the Effort of Thundercracker in hand (their colors matched, didn't they?), and that was the _only_ thing keeping the Decepticons from flat-out shooting him up at the moment. In the other hand…it looked like they were going to shoot him up anyway.

"Um, so…" Jazz said. He flashed a toothy grin. "Had a nice life?"

Skywarp teleported to Jazz's side and punched him in the side of the head. Jazz fell over on his side, his hand releasing Cartwheel. Thundercracker leaped forward and caught her up in his own hand and swiftly tucked her into his cockpit in his chest before turning on Jazz. He kicked at Jazz at the same time as Skywarp, but Jazz suddenly sprang up into a hand stand and swung his legs around, kicking the Seekers away from him. He was careful not to hit Thundercracker's cock pit, fearing hurting the little girl with in him.

_Why aren't they using their laser guns?_ Benjamin thought as he continuously dodged and blocked blows from the ever-teleporting Shadowleap. Then he remembered, _People will hear them--_

"You mumble when you think," Shadowleap said, suddenly landing a punch right in Benjamin's cheek.

The little guy had strength, no arguing that; Benjamin found himself flying through the air to crash land against the side of the building right beside the doors. He closed his eyes and shook the dizziness from his head; he was _defiantly_ going to bruise later.

"Wow and oww, kid," Benjamin commented.

"I know cool, right?" Shadowleap asked, appearing right in front of Benjamin.

Behind him, Thundercracker flung Jazz over his head and slammed him into the ground. Skywarp attempted to land and slam his elbow into Jazz's stomach, but Jazz rolled over and leaped to his feet, kicking Skywarp in the face when he landed on the ground before spinning around, jumping up, and punching Thundercracker in the face.

"Now come on," Shadowleap ordered, grabbing Benjamin's arm, "We have to go."

Benjamin suddenly remembered something important; never underestimate your enemy.

Seizing Shadowleap by his elbow and wrist, Benjamin spun him around as he stood up and pinned the boy's arm against his back and used the other hand to hold his sword to the boy's throat.

"This is going to be a _bad_ guilt trip later on," Benjamin groaned. "HEY!" he yelled at the fighting Transformers. "I got your kid, now knock it off or he goes!"

All three Transformers froze and turned to stare at Benjamin and Shadowleap. Thundercracker had Jazz in a headlock and Skywarp was in mid-kicking of Jazz's stomach.

"Don't teleport," Benjamin warned Shadowleap when he felt a tingling sensation in the hand that held the boy, "I don't want to cut you."

"D-Dad," Shadowleap called, "In a bit of hot water, here?"

"I see, I see," Skywarp said as Thundercracker released Jazz. "Just, uh, let's be calm and see if we can talk something through."

Jazz looked from one Decepticon to the other, clearly surprised at the change of heart so quickly. Benjamin, mean while, looked and felt like he had swallowed a can of bad tuna; in all his scenarios of war, he had imagined seeing friends and family die, but never had he imagined him holding a blade to a _child's_ throat, Decepticon-related or not.

Just as Skywarp had finished speaking, three Autobots charged out of the building and into the park, completely over looking Benjamin and his hostage. All three soldiers drew out their guns and aimed them at Thundercracker and Skywarp.

"Freeze, Decepticons!" one of them bellowed. "Or we'll shoot!"

Thundercracker and Shadowleap exchanged looks, passing something over their communications link. A look of dismay and horror crossed Skywarp's face, but Thundercracker nodded sadly. Skywarp turned and looked at Shadowleap with misery in his optics. Shadowleap seemed to understand the look and nodded sadly. Skywarp sighed sadly, then suddenly leaped into the air, transforming into jet mode and flying off into the night sky. Thundercracker followed. Both were gone so fast that none of the Autobot soldiers had had a chance to shoot.

Shadowleap went limp in Benjamin's grip and Ben realized that Shadowleap was not going to be teleporting anywhere at the moment.

**Sunny's and Side's Sub-Chapter #3**

Prowl was sitting on the cliff in front of the Hollywood sign, gun in hand and scanning the city below him. He barely twitched when a Lamborghini engine purred quietly as it approached. It transformed into Sideswipe, who hesitantly approached the police cruiser Transformer.

"So, uh, taking a break yet?" Sideswipe said.

"I found some of Becky's skin cells here," Prowl replied, still staring at the city below. "There were more bio-samples of humans with Transformer efforts and radiation from Decepticons. They kidnapped her; the Decepticons did."

"Great, so let's get back to the city and kick some Decepticon aft!" Sideswipe said cheerfully.

Prowl looked at him. "What?"

"Yeah, didn't you hear?" Sideswipe asked. "Decepticons are attacking Transport City and it needs all the mechs it can get to kick some aft. Becky should be there if the Decepticons took her—"

"But what if they killed her?"

"Like they would do that and not make a show of it? Not Megs' style, man."

"What if they've tortured her?"

"Sitting here's not going to stop or help that."

"What if she's seriously harmed?"

"You know, these are questions that should convince you to haul aft back to Transport City _as fast as possible_."

Prowl's optics twitched as a plan formed in his mind. He stood, holstering his gun and ran by Sideswipe, grabbing his shoulder to drag the Lamborghini 'Former as he went.

"Let's go!" Prowl ordered, his voice deep with the confidence gained when one knows _exactly_ what they're doing. Prowl transformed into police cruiser form and sped off.

"Hey, great!" Sideswipe said, also transforming and following him. "I'll call Sunstreaker and we can rendezvous at our cruiser and—"

"No time; celebrity near by has one."

"Oh, you know a celebrity here? They're going to let us borrow a cruiser?" Sideswipe thought a moment. "Wait a moment, how would you know--?"

"I don't," Prowl replied simply, skidding around a sharp hill curve.

"Then how are we going to ask permission to borrow their space cruiser?"

"We're not."

….

_"WHAT!?"_

Prowl suddenly made a hard right onto the paved drive way leading to a high wall and a set of gates. A mansion on a hill could be seen beyond the brick wall; a classic sign of wealth in any human culture.

"You heard me," Prowl replied. "We're stealing it."

He crashed through the gates, his tires leaving the pavement before he landed on the lawn, leading the way around the mansion to its garage. Sideswipe fish tailed turning to follow Prowl and his head lights flickered in shock as burglar alarms went off. To the side, a patrolling human guard yelled in surprise and his guard dog barked vainly at them.

"Um, Prowl," Sideswipe ventured. "I can imagine myself doing this if I were somewhat drunk, and perhaps even Jazz, if he were smashed. Primus, I can see _Optimus_ doing this _eons_ before I ever imagined _you_ doing this, so stop scaring me and—"

"Shut up and stay there," Prowl stated, approaching the garage.

His lasers shot at the door, blowing a large hole into the garage. Sideswipe obediently stopped out side of the garage as Prowl sped on inside. The nervous prankster continued with what he thought would be his last intelligent speech of his life.

"Right, so, Prowl, this is _completely_ out of character for you, so please stop scaring me and come to your senses. Apologize for the breaking and entering bit, promise to pay for the damages, and please follow the speed limit as we get back to Sunny's and mine ride. Heck, you can even scold us about not filling out the forms to come and get out, just—"

"Got it!"

A space cruiser, sleek and triangular in shape, sped out of the garage. It was about the size of a house, or an average Transformer size. Sideswipe's front bumper hit the ground in a car's jaw drop before a tractor beam fell down on him and he was sucked up into the ship.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Sunstreaker was walking down the street in the night-time dawn of Los Angeles when he heard the hum of a low-flying cruiser. A light fell on him and he rolled his eyes, turning around quickly so that who ever was looking down wouldn't see the awkward paint scrapes on his back. Suddenly, the tingly feeling of a tractor beam seized his feet and he cried out, arms flailing, as he was lifted into the sleek, modern space cruiser upside down. Once in it, the bay doors shut beneath him and he fell down hard on his back. Groaning, he sat up as he heard a familiar snicker near by. Looking over to the pilot area, he saw Prowl flying the cruiser. Sideswipe was in the co-pilot's seat, controlling the tractor beam.

"So, nice to see you got him back without getting killed by him," Sunstreaker commented, standing and dusting himself off. "Too bad you're going to get killed by me for your antics—"

A police siren whoop made Sunstreaker turn around to look out the back window of the cruiser. Out there, he saw three police hovercraft chasing after their own ride. He stared at the chasing craft, then turned to look at his friends and jerked a thumb over his shoulder at the police hover craft.

"Sides, why are the police after us?"

"It was _all_ Prowl," Sideswipe said, placing his palms together and pointing them at Prowl.

"Bull," Sunstreaker growled.

"It was," Prowl agreed, still staring out the window. Then he threw a lever up to put the craft into full throttle and blast off over the ocean, leaving their pursuers behind.


	19. Meet the General

**Disclaimer: Hasbro owns Transformers. I own the story and (almost) everything in it.**

**Chapter 19: Meet the General**

"Can I get an iPod or cassette player or TV or _something_?" Max groaned, smacking the back of his head against the wall. "I mean, I got this annoying _whistle_ in my ears and—"

"It won't stop?" Ferrofluid suggested. "Yes, that is a result of we Efforts of opposite faction being close to you. Handy, isn't it? Almost acts like an alarm system. It was much easier to find you that way, but still can't beat a good old-fashioned tracker bug."

"Tracker bug?" Josh asked.

In response, Ferrofluid walked over to Josh and plucked something off of his jacket sleeve; a tiny, miniscule bit of what looked like pebble.

"Yes, a tracker bug," he stated, waving the tiny pebble at Josh. "We couldn't find where you lived at, sense your family has a private number, and we couldn't find you in the city registry, so we tracked you."

"Why take _me_?" Josh asked. "I'm not an Autobot Effort."

"The annoying ringing I have says other wise," Smartmouth said, placing a hand to her head.

"That's probably from being near the other Efforts, dearest," Ferrofluid chuckled.

"Bite me," Smartmouth growled.

"Hey, are we going to get some food any time soon or what?" Anne piped up.

This was met with agreements from the other prisoners. It was in the latest hours of the night, or earliest of the morning. Most of the Nazi soldiers were asleep in full uniform, and even Ravage, Laserbeak, Buzzsaw, and Frenzy were fast asleep. Rumble had his arms crossed across his chest, grimacing in annoyance at having his brother's head napping on his lap, but he made no move to remove the red and black Cassetticon (wait, _was_ he a Cassetticon now even though he had a computer alt-form? Food for thought…). Skynet sat on the floor beside a crate, sitting straight. Whether he was asleep or not could not be determined. Outside, the battle seemed to have finally reached a break and no gun shots rang out, no laser fire cut the air, and nothing exploded.

"You're hungry?" Ferrofluid inquired. "Alright then, let's feed you…"

He went over to one of the crates and picked up the canteen of energon.

"Um, I wouldn't mind bread and water, thank you," Jess stated.

"Oh, come on," Ferrofluid implored, thrusting the canteen to her face. "You had some before and you're not dead. And don't lie to me and say that you didn't like it!"

"I didn't! I didn't!" Jess exclaimed.

A swift buzz ran through Becky's head, seeming to pronounce the word _liar_. She shook it, making a small noise of surprise.

"You okay, Becky?" Josh asked.

"Um, a weird buzz…" Becky muttered.

"Ah, yes," Ferrofluid said, flashing a small smile Becky's way. "An Effort soon gains their powers soon after their first meal of energon. Quite handy stuff, you know, just the thing for sprouting Efforts."

"If it gives you powers, then why doesn't it give you a hair cut?" Max sneered.

Ferrofluid stared at Max for a long moment, then smirked as he took off his sunglasses.

"Because what it gave me is _far_ more useful than a fashion move," he said.

Ferrofluid's left eye was pure black with no white or iris. The right eye had a thick gold iris with a thick black ring lining it before it turned to the whites. Jess and Anne's jaws dropped in shock. Becky and Josh stared in surprise. Max's mouth made an "o" of surprise.

"Cool!" Max cheered.

Ferrofluid's golden eye vibrated strangely and he thrust his face towards Max's.

"You hide your fear behind a mask of bravo," Ferrofluid told him. "When inside you're really spooked out of your wits. I can measure your hormonal and pheromone levels from here, how fast your heart is beating, how much adrenaline is pumping through your veins, and even what parts of your brain are active…you're terrified."

Ferrofluid straightened up and turned away, replacing his shades.

"Also, you need to work on your math more."

"Okay, _that_ was terrifying," Jess muttered.

"Actually, that would be a rather useful power in my line of work," Anne said. "Being able to see into people and all; I could take one look and be able to see broken bones and stuff like that. But that Math thing's got me excited. Can he really measure brain activity with a glance?"

"Remember, Anne, he's the enemy," Becky warned.

Ferrofluid appeared to be about to answer that when everyone looked up as a new sound broke the pre-dawn silence, making the Decepticon mechs stir from their sleep and the Nazis wake up. It was the growl of a series of large engines. The black and yellow army jeep that had been there the whole night transformed and stood up into a brawny mech with the build of a football player.

"Everybody stand by for General Balthazar and Private Willium Walter!" he ordered loudly.

"Easy on the yelling, Mash," Frenzy yawned, rubbing his face. "I know you're proud and all of the promotion, but seriously… Shut up."

The Nazi soldiers scrambled to grab their proper equipment and come to stand in neat ranks. The Decepticons yawned and reluctantly shook sleep from their frames as they got to their feet and turned to the main double doors as they were opened. Ferrofluid and Smartmouth exchanged looks, curious as to meeting the leaders of the Neo-Nazis and stood at attention.

Two tanks rolled in first, followed by two army jeeps and an army truck. This caravan parked against the far wall of the warehouse where men began to unload supplies from the truck and second jeep. The first of the two jeeps pulled up to a stop in the center of the room where all could see it. From it came two men that the reader has already been introduced to as General Balthazar and his second in command, Willium. But the prisoners instantly forgot about Willium to focus on Balthazar.

They could see the personalities shifting with in his dried-blood eyes, making it nearly impossible to determine what kind of man he was. Was he like the calm, mysterious man one sees walking around the more sophisticated parts of town? Was he the angry, cranky platoon leader at boot camp, or the maniac who was ready to hug you as soon as bash your brains into the dashboard? Or was he the funny, random, crazy neighborhood loony tune that your parents told you and your friends to stay away from, but he's too much fun to leave alone? But above all, he had that same TV whistle as the other Decepticon Efforts had, but louder, shriller, like that of a signaling whistle on a navy ship. To the Decepticon Efforts, his whistle hum was a warning that while he was on their side, he was still dangerous. For the Autobot Efforts, it was the audio shadow of the hawk over head, warning them that General Balthazar was one of the most dangerous men in the room; even more so than Decepticon Mash.

"Is he an Effort?" Jess whispered.

"If he is, then we're screwed," Anne replied back quietly.

Balthazar, whom had been looking over his soldiers for flaw, snapped his head around to the prisoners. He was wearing a monocle at the moment, and it glinted in the light of the set-up lamps. Still staring at the prisoners, he waved his hand stiffly at his men and they went back to their duties. Willium looked from Balthazar to the troops and back again numerous times, obviously confused at Balthazar's reaction, but kept silent and instead followed his leader over to the prisoners.

Ferrofluid, Skynet, and Smartmouth all stood to attention upon Balthazar's approach. Frenzy and Rumble exchanged glances, then also stood to attention. Laserbeak and Buzzsaw remained perched on the edge of a crate while Ravage sat on his haunches beside Frenzy.

"These are the Autobot Efforts?" Balthazar inquired, casting an eye on the prisoners. His German accent was impossible to miss.

"All but two of them are here, and all but one of them are," Ferrofluid said. "The dark-haired, tall one is Josh Witwicky; he is human and was to be picked up in the name of a personal vendetta Megatron has against the Witwicky family. The only ones that are missing is Michelangelo, son of Skyfire, and Benjamin, son of Optimus Prime himself."

"Optimus, hmm?" Balthazar inquired. "_That's_ a feather to put in your cap."

Balthazar suddenly closed his eyes in a grimace of pain and placed one black-gloved hand to his head.

"Sir?" Willium inquired.

"It's okay, Willium," Balthazar assured. "It's just my craziest side acting up again."

"Craziest side?" Max asked. "As if being the new Hitler wasn't crazy enough?"

Balthazar leaned back slightly as he laughed, "Oh ho, ho, ho, ho, boy! I am no where _half_ the man the Fuehrer was! But I appreciate the compliment."

At the last statement, he bent over Max, producing a key from somewhere of unknown origin, and actually unlocked one of Max's hands to shake it. Max's hair actually _puffed up_ in surprise at the sudden friendly contact. Then, as quickly as he had been unlocked, Max's wrist was re-locked back in its handcuff, the key was hidden, and Balthazar stood straight again.

"No, my crazy side was just pointing out how odd it was that the Autobot Effort names do not match the first letter of their father's names like the human names of the Decepticon Efforts," Balthazar continued, the sparkling, crazy look appearing in his eyes. "For example, Mextron was called Michel and he's Megatron's son. Smartmouth was Samantha and she's with Starscream, Ferrofluid was Steven, son of Shockwave, and I am Balthazar, son of Blitzwing!"

"Blitzwing was nuts, too?" Max asked.

"No, just pissed off," Balthazar replied without missing a beat to think up a come back. "The only ones to pass by this rule were Cartwheel, who was once known as Brittney, daughter of Thundercracker, and Shadowleap, who was once called Foe, short for Feodric, and shadow of Skywarp. But I can see that at least _some_ of your names match…"

Balthazar suddenly reached down and ruffled Anne's short red and white streaked hair.

"_Anne_!" Balthazar chuckled. "Like Little Orphan Anne with all the red curls…"

"My hair has always been straight, thank you very much!" Anne snarled. "And hands off the merchandise before it gets _amputated_, jerk!"

"Actually," Becky pointed out. "You had _quite_ a lovely head of curls when you were little and—"

"Shut up or one of us isn't coming home."

"Now, now, children, don't fight," Balthazar said cheerfully. "We have to keep you in good condition until the execution!"

As one, the prisoners all stared up at Balthazar in shock.

_"Execution!?"_ they all yelled.

"Yes! Yes!" Balthazar said, clapping his hands together and nodding. "If your parents are unable to agree to the terms Megatron will be setting soon, then you will all perish! Isn't that exciting?"

"Oh good god how the hell did you get this far?" Jess said, shaking her head as she stared at Balthazar.

"Eh, luck, I suppose," Balthazar said, shrugging. "Well, I have duties to attend you, but I'll come back soon and we can get to know each other that way when I have to shoot you, it won't be so impersonal, yeah?"

Finally, the energetic wild side of him seemed to be turned off. The calm side they had first seen entering the warehouse turned away from them and went over to the Nazi's half of the warehouse to attend his duties there. After a long moment, Max spoke.

"Well _I_ like him."

**Sunny's and Side's Sub-Chapter #4**

* * *

"Oh Primus, stop it!" Sunstreaker screamed, clinging to Sideswipe's chair. "We're going to die! Please, stop it!"

"Stop complaining, soldier!" Prowl snarled, doing a barrel roll around more laser shots.

They were approaching Transport City from the east side, and patrolling air-born Decepticons were taking target practice. Sideswipe had his feet braced against the dashboard and was screaming like a little girl while Sunstreaker held onto the back of his chair, his feet frequently leaving the floor as Prowl dove and spun around to avoid their deaths by plasma fire. Outside, all one could see was a spinning blur where the deep green and grey cruiser was.

"I don't wanna die this way!" Sideswipe wailed. "I want a beautiful femme holding me and laminating loosing her best lover to the disastrous Decepticons and—"

"Oh shut up, Sideswipe, it would have never happened, because no femme wants to be with you longer than a one night stand," Prowl snarled.

"You know, I know that you're mad about loosing Becky," Sideswipe said with unusual maturity, crossing his arms across hic chest, "But you don't have to be such a _scrap stick _about it."

Their craft suddenly jilted, knocking them forward and almost out of their seats. Red emergency lights began to flash and wail.

"Oh, that's not good," Sunstreaker commented.

"Grab your guns," Prowl said as they flew over the city. "It looks like we're going to be making a crash landing. Our landing equipment just mated with plasma fire."

"Oh, for Primus' sake," Sunstreaker muttered, drawing his gun. "This is undignified! I should be dropping down from the air to land amidst a fight and defeating all the enemies in one fell swoop that way witnesses may awe at my awesomeness—"

"You know, it's not too late to do that 'dropping down from the air' bit; care to land in the ocean?" Prowl said with poisoned sweetness.

"On second thought; crash away."


	20. Cookies and a Story

**Disclaimer: Hasbro owns Transformers. I own the story and (almost) everything in it.**

**Chapter 20: Cookies and a Story**

Skyfire's bay was full of Autobot recruits and was finally now heading back to Transport City. The going was slower than anticipated, though, as they realized that Transport City was completely surrounded by Decepticons and Neo-Nazis and they would be unable to approach it without being shot down and they needed to plan. Skyfire had put Michelangelo at the controls to make sure Skyfire stayed on course as he privately contacted the Prime Minister of England.

"Alright," Skyfire announced, silencing the hub bub of conversation in his bay.

MJ looked up, as did everyone else, and Skyfire's human-sized robot hologram form appeared standing in the door way between the bay and his cock pit, one hand on his hip and the other dangling at his side. He went on.

"I've just got off the line with England and here's the plan: We can't land in Transport City directly due to the infestation of Decepticons and, believe it or not, _Nazis_ all over the place, so we'll be landing on the beach of Scarborough, a town right just west of the city, then take a roughly one-to-three hour swim east to Transport City. We'll ride on English battleships over to Transport City. The ride there will the most dangerous you've had in a long time, so avians; prepare to jump up and go into air-to-air combat. Everyone else; protect your battleships at all costs, or hundreds of human lives will be lost to Decepticon hands. It's going to be slightly chaotic and out of order, but please cooperate with the human officers you'll be assigned with; they know what they're doing. Here are your officers…"

As the names were listed off, MJ's mind wandered as his eyes did like wise over the crowd in the bay.

The recruits weren't all veterans of the original Autobot-Decepticon War. Some were new soldiers, youth that had been Sparklings during the end of the war or had been born after it. These recruits had, literally, signed themselves off to the Autobots and the war by just jumping into Skyfire. Looking over them all, most were excited with bright optics and huge grins, flexing their muscles and checking over their weapons (usually just hunting rifles or something they found lying around the house). Others looked fearful as what they were doing finally sank in, or they had been dragged there by a friend. A couple people, MJ noticed, had even just accidentally wandered onto the ship in curieosity and were actually being carried off against their will. In any way he looked at it, MJ worried for them.

Those bright-optic kids probably had dreams of glory and adventure spinning in their heads and thought that they would become something of legend… those poor fools. They would arrive to battle and be quickly introduced to the concept of death and danger, and would discover that their meager hunting rifles, hand-me-downs, and blunt, crude weapons would be no match for the Decepticons' deadly artillery. Most of them would have to be upgraded with stronger armor and things like communication link technology, scanners, and built-in weapons. They would probably wake up later, look at themselves, and realize, with a shock, that they had become something totally different.

MJ had heard tales of war from his father and his friends' fathers more than enough times to know that war had nothing to smile about. Half the people in the ship would be dead by next week. MJ prayed that they would have quick, honorable deaths.

"… Any repeats?" Skyfire finished.

There were a couple and Skyfire answered them.

"That is it?" Skyfire finished. "Well then, in that case; good luck, and may Primus save your Spark."

- - - - - - - - - - -

Twenty minutes later and Skyfire was finally able to transform into his robot mode as his passengers walked down the beach to the assembled three English battleships. Further out to sea, there were many, many, many more, all waiting for the final order to be given for them to go to war. Once that happened, no one could jump over board and hope to swim to land, and all the men and woman on board those ships were either fated to death or victory.

Michelangelo watched the people on the beach as soldiers made final good byes to their beloved ones. The young man saw husbands departing from their weeping wives and miserable mothers take their confused children away before breaking down, weeping, in their cars parked further up the beach. MJ heard a distant shout and saw what appeared to be an elderly couple scolding a stone-faced young woman; parents forbidding a "lady" of their daughter from going to war, no doubt. But times had changed; not only were women allowed as serious soldiers on the front line in combat, but a war was actually about to happen and this couple could do nothing to stop their daughter from going. But the couple appeared to have been in their prime when the first Decepticon-Autobot War had come to earth. They would know what the horrors of facing the Decepticons would be like.

The old man suddenly wrenched a pant leg of his raspberry-colored silk suit up to reveal an artificial titanium steel leg. He whacked it with his cane and yelled something unable to be heard from this distance, but the meaning was clear; the father had _faced_ the Decepticons and knew damn well that what ever calm pictures of guard duty or images of grandeur haunted the girl's mind, they were _false._

The girl said something simple and flat. Her parents drew back in horror, then watched, miserably, as their child turned on her heels and marched up a ramp to the battleship. What had she said? Has she said something concerning her father's disability? Had she said something to make them realize nothing could be changed? Michelangelo didn't know, and was sure that it was not his business to know. But, like the recruits, he knew that there was a fifty percent chance that she would be dead before next week and prayed that her death would be a quick, honorable one.

"Ah, feels good to stretch," Skyfire breathed happily, stretching his arms up as far as they could go.

"Father," MJ ventured, "What are _we_ going to do?"

"I am going to fly with the air guard with the battleships," Skyfire replied. "_You_ are going to stay here on behalf of the courtesy of the Prime Minister—"

"What!?" MJ exclaimed. "_Stay_!? But we're in this together as father and son! I'm old enough to serve in the army in over half the countries of Earth, so you can't say that I'm too young for the army!"

Skyfire sighed miserably, "Well, if you insist, but…"

He knelt on the ground in front of Michelangelo.

"Michel…" he said quietly, "There is something I must tell you."

Michelangelo was not one to interrupt and stared up at the Transformer giant, waiting. Skyfire looks miserable, what was the matter?

"Michel," Skyfire began again. He stopped and sat down in a cross-legged position. He held a hand out to Michel and the young man got into it. The hand placed him on Skyfire's chest as he laid on his back on the grass, linking his fingers behind his head. This was exactly how Skyfire talked with Michelangelo when ever they were alone somewhere outdoors.

Skyfire smiled sadly as he remembered that he was in this exact position in mountain meadow in Sweden when he had explained the baby-making process, both Transformer and human, to a six-year old Michelangelo years ago. That was the day the boy had learned that he and the Efforts were not normal. Oh, Primus, this was going to be a sad, difficult, conversation. How was he going to explain this story?

From the beginning; that usually helped.

"I've… never been able to have my own Sparkling," Skyfire began. "I'm just not… _built_ for it, apparently. So, when I heard of Project Smelting, I went up to Optimus Prime and the Breaker Laboratories leader at the time and _begged_ them to let me be apart of it. All I've ever wanted was to raise my own child; to teach a little one of the world, to care for them, and protect them. But even over twenty years after the project began and when all the other Efforts were created on the same day and birthed on the same day, none of them held my compounds. I couldn't even have a fleshling child.

"Science, my only religion, hadn't given me a child, so what was I to turn to? I turned to religion, and prayed thrice a day for the entire time the other Autobots' Efforts were in incubation, praying to Primus, God, Allah, anyone and everyone, to give me my own child, shooting into the dark in hopes that _someone_ would hear me. Unbelievably, someone _was_ listening.

"Three days after the Efforts' birth they were allowed to come home to the Global Autobot Headquarters. I remembered it was a warm spring night, cloudless with a sky as black as satin. The media was in a complete uproar, swarming around the headquarters and yelling out for comments. None of the others noticed; they were too busy being in love with their children and celebrating their very existence. I was so miserable and jealous of them that I stomped out of the party with out anyone noticing. Heh, I scared the media men away when I stomped on a couple of media vans on my way out.

"I flew away, wanting to be on my own. I found myself landing somewhere in Scotland; that country has beautiful landscapes, you know, and that night it was as silent as an off line ship with only the crickets to break the silence. I sat there for several hours, trying to figure out what I had done to be cursed and denied the only wish I had ever made in my entire life. I was only broken from my reverie when I heard a strange noise: A child's cry.

"Following the cry, I found a blanket-wrapped babe in a wicker basket at a bus stop near by, only three days old. I took him home and the other Autobots and I looked all over for his parents, but they never came forward. Three weeks later, the suggestion was passed to put the child in a foster home, but I refused. When the news was out that a so-called sixth Effort was in existence, the media men came right back in mass. I am quite sure I scared them off forever when I wound up kicking several of their vans and trucks into the bay."

The joke drew no smile from Michelangelo. He was staring with a slack-jaw and wide eyes at Skyfire.

"Well," Skyfire continued. "After that, I raised that boy as my own. I know it is wrong for me to have kept it from him this long, and all I can hope for is that he will forgive me for my treachery. He is an excellent boy who deserves far more than my secrecy. But I want you to know this, Michelangelo: There was never a moment I regretted adopting you. There was never a moment where I thought you of anything except my son. There was never a moment where I wished you were more of a Transformer. There was never a moment I regretted picking you up off that bus bench in the middle of no where in Scotland. There was never a moment…" Skyfire raised a hand and gently cupped it around Michelangelo. "Where I didn't love you," Skyfire finished softly.

Michelangelo looked at the hand, almost as if seeing it for the first time. After a long moment, he lifted a finger and petted the smooth metal finger as thick as himself. Sitting up, he hugged the thumb; his version of hugging Skyfire.

"Thank you for choosing me," he said quietly.

Skyfire sat up and held MJ close, his blue optics glowing softly as a smile two parts relief and three parts love crossed his face. After a moment, MJ broke away from his hug and smiled up at Skyfire as Skyfire lifted him up so that they were eye-to-optic.

"So," MJ said. "There are only five Autobot Efforts?

"Actually, um," Skyfire said, rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand. "No. There are still six."

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

"I say we dangle him upside down by his toes until he squeals!" Hound declared.

"Nah, how about two wet willies, a noogie, three wedgies, and _dozens_ of swirlies!" Mirage suggested eagerly.

"I say we spank him!" Gears declared. "Good old-fashioned child discipline never went wrong!"

"Bah!" Ironhide snarled. "Let's just rip his head if he doesn't talk. I want to find out where my little keg of gun powder, Jess, is!"

"Why not just hold a gun to his head?" Bluestreak inquired.

_"NO!!"_ Jazz and Benjamin yelled at the same time.

Yeap, Mirage and his comrades had crash-landed in the GAHQ main park and were there with the score or so of other Transformer commanders in the planning room trying to figure out how to make their new prisoner, Shadowleap, talk. So far, their suggestions were… not very Autobot like. Benjamin had an educated guess that it was because their battle programs were working a little _too_ well after such a long time off line.

"Should I be worried about the level of violence you guys are expressing?" Jazz asked seriously.

"He's just a kid!" Benjamin exclaimed. "He might not know _anything_. We are _not_ going to harm him."

"Then how are we going to get the kid to talk?" Mirage demanded. "You said himself he's Decepticon stuff; he's no good!"

"Benjamin is right, guys" Jazz said, looking at the human-transformer hybrid. "The kid is probably terrified of the war. Imagine what he's like in an _enemy's base_! We just have to give him time to warm up to us and _then_ we can talk to him."

Everyone stared at Jazz for a long moment. Gears raised a hand.

"How about playing Barney soundtracks non-stop?" suggested.

Then the shouting of suggestions began once again.

Jazz picked Benjamin up from his perch on the Transformer-sized table by the back of his training armor and knelt on the floor, setting Benjamin down.

"Try talking to the kid while I talk these guys out of their child abuse modes," Jazz instructed him quietly.

Benjamin nodded and took off, a plan already forming in his head, and the key of it was…

Cookies.

What kid _didn't_ like them? Hard and crunchy or soft and chewy, heavy with candy and nuts or simply light sugary dough, bland on top or covered in frosting, all children like cookies at least _once_ in their life time. Any one who's tasted a cookie has at least _one_ favorite cookie; brown sugar with raisins, white sugar with thick frosting, chocolate fudge with sprinkles, or even frozen ice cream. Or perhaps they loved the every-popular chocolate chip cookie, a simple recipe with a result as legendary and eternal as the wheel, math, or the greeting 'hello'? But it's more important because its creamy, sugary taste possesses the soul of hundreds of children coming home from school to fresh baked cookies, baking them with their mother or other female relative, and all the sweet goodness in the world. True that no matter how awful the human race became, the chocolate chip cookie would always be the best thing it had ever invented. Cookies, in general, were a divine power's way of saying that they loved you.

Hence, when Benjamin walked into Shadowleap's prison cell a couple hours later, he had a platter heaped with warm, sugary cookies with extras of chocolate chips. Shadowleap's indigo eyes brightened up in delight and Benjamin already saw him drooling, but the boy remained where he sat in the corner of the white room. He flinched away when Benjamin knelt beside him, but his eyes widened even more when Benjamin set the platter in front of him. He looked at Benjamin, to the platter, then back again curiously. Benjamin nodded and Shadowleap eagerly picked up a brown sugar cookie first, downing it eagerly.

"Bribing?" Shadowleap asked a moment later through a mouth full of sugar and raisin cookies.

"Maybe," Benjamin stated.

"Working."

"That's a plus. I'm just sorry that I had to hold my sword to your throat earlier."

"Don't be. We're in opposite sides of a war; we're bound to hurt one another."

"I still don't want to…"

"You new to the war game?"

"You aren't?"

"Nope," Shadowleap replied, licking his fingers. "My brothers and sisters and me have only known two games: Be the Lab Rat and War. Playing War is better 'cause at least we're people in that game."

"Umm, how do you play these games?" Benjamin ventured.

Shadowleap looked up from where he was chomping into an enormous angelic sugar cookie. The intelligence and maturity belayed all impressions Benjamin had had of Shadowleap being a young, naïve child; this kid was _dangerous._ It was enough to make him recoil, as if struck.

"Benjamin, was it?" Shadowleap asked. "Yeah, do me a favor, Ben, and don't patronize me. I've seen more in this past year than you have in all of your _stupid, fake_ military schools. Just listen to my story…"

Then Shadowleap told him.

He told him about growing up in the secret Breaker Laboratory in the Sahara Desert of lawless North Africa. He told Benjamin about the experiments and barely being given enough respect to be considered a person and the mind games the scientists would play with them, like making them wait for hours on end until they were a raging fit of impatients. He told Benjamin about how he and his "siblings" had had only each other all their lives and how they were lower than dirt to the scientists who had "raised" them. There was Dr. Condor who, at the end of the Breaker Lab reign, had began to make them drink mechanical fluids to see their reactions. Then there was Dr. Moriguchi, the leader of Breaker Labs who had replaced the original head of scientists and had made passes at Samantha and actually hit Brittney. Only Michel had kept them together, in spite of his arguments with Samantha, and with the almost-silent, telepathic and technopath Effort 137, son of Soundwave, and the calculating Steven, Shockwave's child on either side. If it hadn't been for Michel, they would have lost their sanity and their hearts to the loveless, colorless life they had been introduced to.

Then things had changed. They had broken free of the Breaker Labs and released their fathers, starting the Decepticon force once more. Dr. Condor had been mutilated while Moriguchi had escaped. They had recruited, stolen, and killed to further themselves, expanding the army and reconstructing it from nothing. The hidden laboratories had been converted into a base and the Decepticon Efforts had been renamed: Michel became Mextron, Steven became Ferrofluid, Effort 137 became Skynet, Samantha had become Smartmouth, Brittney had become Cartwheel, and a boy called Foe, short for Feodric, had become Shadowleap.

They had been set on a diet of Energon, making up for years of simple feeding and making them faster, better, stronger, and even giving them powers. Smartmouth gained the ability of shooting plasma and laser shots from her shoulder area, perhaps a call to how her father, the notorious Starscream, had null blasters on his shoulders? Skynet's powers had expanded to even stronger heights. Ferrofluid's vision, which had been poor before, improved into something of super scanning abilities. Cartwheel gained the ability to heal and diagnose health conditions with a touch. Shadowleap gained the ability to teleport, just like his father, Skywarp. For the longest time, only Mextron had been without powers except with his leadership abilities.

One day, Megatron had become jealous of how Mextron was shaping up the recruits better than him, so he sent his own Effort on a false suicide mission right into the hands of Dr. Moriguchi… who was at the same base that Ironhide had been guarding. The other Efforts and some of their Transformer friends had chased after him upon discovering the treacherous move to rescue him. Megatron pursued, too, only when his own Spark attacked him upon feeling Mextron's pain caused from Moriguchi's experiments in the base; a pain caused only because of Megatron's treachery to his own Sparkling.

In the ensuing fight, Mextron was shot by Moriguchi. It was at that moment that they discovered that the Efforts could Change.

"Shockwave and Ferrofluid," Shadowleap explained, "as well as several medics, did some experiments and studied into it. We have discovered that when an Effort is stabbed in their Spark chamber, right beside their heart, with something metal, the metal is absorbed by the Spark, analyzed, and copied to temporarily replace all organic compounds with metal. Thus, the Effort finally becomes a true Transformer. They can switch between being a Transformer and human after enough practice, and even withdraw only parts of the Transformer body while in human form. For example, Mextron can make his arm cannon come out even when in human form, and Ferrofluid came make his arms turn into their extendable metal counterpart while still staying fleshling.

"Only Cartwheel and I haven't been allowed to try to Change yet; we're too young. Smartmouth and Ferrofluid activated their Change talents by the stabbing, but out of curiosity, Skynet simply soaked in energon. We found something out the night he did that; it _is_ possible to activate your Change by soaking in energon, but it's the _most painful thing imaginable_. Huh, now that I think about it that was the only time I ever saw Soundwave mad… Smacked Skynet up the head _hard_ when he finished the Change and said something that translated to roughly 'don't ever scare the crap out of me like that again'.

"So any way, here we are, following our daddies to kick your daddies' aft. It's nothing personal… they're just our dads, and our only family in the universe. We don't ever want to go back to being lab rats in cages, and if becoming the bad guy is the price for that, then we'll pay it.

"Now," Shadowleap finished, chewing on a chocolate fudge cookie, "Are there any non-war-strategy-related questions?"

"Uh," Benjamin said quietly. "N-No, um… wow."

"Wow?" Shadowleap asked, licking his fingers.

"Yeah, wow," Benjamin repeated. "I just… wow. That's amazing. You've been through a lot."

"Yeah, yeah, you're brave, you're strong, you're amazing, but you don't have to kill people to prove yourself, I get the idea, now do you have non-war questions?"

"Huh? No, no, I don't," Benjamin said.

"Oh good," Shadowleap said cheerfully, pocketing the last cookies. "Because it's time to go."

"What?" Benjamin asked dumbly.

Shadowleap jumped up and tackled Benjamin. Before Benjamin's back hit the tile floor, he felt a tingling sensation sweep across him and Shadowleap's colors darkened into blackness in split seconds before bleeding into the air as smoke and surrounding Benjamin. Blackness and colors spun around Benjamin and he found himself and Shadowleap rolling into the black metal hand of Skywarp.

They were in the entrance hall of the headquarters, but an enormous part of it had been blown apart, exposing the dawn sky beyond. Seekers were everywhere, fighting Autobots and making the destroyed hall even more beyond repair. Jazz was on the ground with Thundercracker pinning him down with a boot on his neck. Skywarp stopped trying to shoot Gears off from where he was dangling from the remains of the second floor balcony and he grinned down at Shadowleap.

"Shadow! You're okay!" he exclaimed happily.

"Yeah, Optimus' sunny here's not too bright in the ways of surprise attacks and not trusting your prisoner," Shadowleap replied, standing up in the robot's hand and nudging a confused Benjamin in the head with his foot.

The older boy sat dumbly in the hand, looking at the scene. Shadowleap drew a crunchy oat meal cookie from his pocket and bit into it before lifting a foot up and knocking it into Benjamin's head, stunning him.

"Nice cookies, at least," he commented. He swallowed his mouth full. "Come on, let's get out of here."  
Shadowleap threw the boys up in the air and transformed into jet form, opening his cock pit so that the boys fell into it. The instant Benjamin landed in the pilot seat, the belts snapped around him and pinned him there, just as he was regaining his senses. Shadowleap landed on his lap and grinned toothily at him.

"Hello, and welcome to Skywarp Air Lines…" Shadowleap began.

"Don't you dare," Skywarp threatened, shooting up into the sky. "Thundercracker! Call 'em back, we got what we came for!"

But below, in spite of having energon leaking from a corner of his mouth and visor and being severely dented from battle, Jazz was _not_ giving up.

"No!" Jazz roared, transforming into car form and chasing after the jets in the streets.

_"Jazz!"_ Ironhide yelled in his comm. link. _"Come back here, you can't do this on your own!"_

"No, Ironhide!" Jazz snarled back. "I lost Josh, but I can't loose Benjamin; he's Optimus' kid! I'm _not_ letting Optimus down like this!"

To ensure that he was not further disturbed, Jazz cut off the communications link and disconnected it.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Optimus finally sat down hard on the sidewalk, groaning as he rubbed the back of his neck. The smoking bodies of the three Decepticons he and Bumblebee had just won a battle over lay on the pavement. Bumblebee sat down beside him and reached over his shoulder, pulling throwing stars out of the metal there.

"I'm getting too old for this," Optimus grunted.

"Don't say that!" Bumblebee said, throwing the stars away, "You'll sound just like Ironhide!"

"Well, I _am_," Optimus joked. "And isn't it an unspoken rule among humans that when they begin to have children, they are too old for adventuring like this?"

"You still have a lot of miles to go, Optimus," Bumblebee chuckled sadly, "Whether you want to or not."

"You seem sad, my friend," Optimus said. "What's the matter?"

Bumblebee sighed as he sat down beside Optimus. "I'm worried about Max..." Bumblebee said.

"He's a, well, um," Optimus failed, not ready to say "smart", but picked a word he _could _use. "He's an adept boy," he went on. "I'm sure that he will be fine."

"I hope so," Bumblebee said, looking up and down the street. "With the communications fields down, I can't get word to the rest of the headquarters to see if he's okay, if we're getting reinforcment, or even what time of the day it is!"

"Don't worry, Bumblebee," Optimus said, patting the yellow 'bot on the back. "He'll be fine."

"Yes, but will you, Optimus?"

Optimus and Bumblebee leaped to their feet as Megatron, Starscream, and Soundwave all landed in front of them, guns drawn and aimed at the two lonely mechs.

"Not very wise of you," Megatron went on. "Being all alone without back up in a war zone is one way of getting yourself killed, you know."

"What do you want, Megatron?" Optimus snarled, gun humming to life. Bumblebee bared his teeth plates at Starscream and Starscream returned the gesture, only to recieve a smack upside the head from Soundwave. What Megatron said next made Bumblebee completely forget the red and white Seeker to look at Megatron.

"I want to make a deal," Megatron stated. "It concerns your children."


	21. And Action!

**Disclaimer: Hasbro owns Transformers. I own the story and (almost) everything in it.**

**Chapter 21: And… Action!**

Josh was eating the army-issue meals the Nazis had given him to survive while the Efforts and Transformers drank energon for breakfast when they heard jet engines scream as they flew by. Everyone looked up as the windows of the warehouse shook in their settings, rattling to the point of threatening to shatter. Things began shaking where they were. Balthazar was sitting back in a chair, his feet propped up on a table as he read a book about Hitler. Without taking his eyes off his book, he reached out and set a single finger on his thermos of energon set on a stack of crates beside him, stopping it from falling off.

When the roar of jets began to fade out, Balthazar sighed and rolled his eyes, "Must they _always_ fly in such huge flocks this close to the ground?"

"It does wonders in the way of terror tactics, sir," Willium replied.

The double doors suddenly blew open and a black and purple and black and indigo pair of jets flew in. They went for the ceiling before spinning around and transforming into their robot forms, landing in the open expanse of the warehouse floor in a most dramatic and cool fashion. The Nazis appeared impressed and some stumbled away in shock from the Seekers. Balthazar rolled his eyes.

_"Must_ you go through the theatre act tricks?" he sighed, shaking his head as he slammed his book shut and stood.

"Hey, we're good at it!" Skywarp said, shrugging cockily.

Thundercracker's cock pit opened up and out of it came Cartwheel. She climbed up to sit on his shoulder and he patted her head gently with one of his massive fingers. A puff of black smoke formed near the other prisoners and Shadowleap formed there with a dumb founded Benjamin. The Efforts and two humans instantly began to yell at him.

"Benjamin! What are you doing here?" Josh exclaimed.

"Kick their asses! Kick their asses!" Anne yelled.

"Go get help!" Becky ordered.

"Go get Pointblank from the blue haired dude and shoot everyone! Even me!" Jess yelled.

"What?" Benjamin asked, looking around as he scanned the scene.

"You're slow," Cartwheel called down.

_"Watch out!!!"_ the prisoners all yelled at him.

Benjamin turned and just barely jumped out of the way of Frenzy when he tried sneaking up behind Benjamin to handcuff him.

"Alright, some action!" Rumble whooped, jumping down from his crate.

Benjamin responded by spinning around with amazing speed and kicking him in the face with the heel of his foot. Rumble flopped down, dazed, as energon leaked from his nose. Ravage snarled, out raged that a fellow Cassetticon of Soundwave had been harmed, and pounced for Benjamin. Benjamin dropped down on his back and kicked at Ravage's belly when it was exposed to him, flinging him back into the air and crash-landing into Frenzy, downing the two. Laserbeak shook his head and rolled his optics, covering his head with a wing. Buzzsaw looked like he was suppressing snickers.

"Ahem?" Smartmouth inquired as she and Ferrofluid approached Benjamin. "But when your captors bring you to their hide out, we _expect _you to lie down and die."

"Yeah, yeah, hi, I'm Benjamin," Benjamin replied.

"Benjamin?" Willium asked.

Benjamin froze, turning around to face the blonde German. His eyes widened and his shoulders drooped upon seeing Willium.

"Professor Walter!?" he exclaimed. "What are _you_ doing here!?"

"Working," Willium replied, gesturing to Balthazar as he approached them.

Benjamin looked around at the scene and spotted the swastika on Willium's coat arm. His eyes narrowed as he backed up from him, fists clenched.

"I _knew_ that you were up to something fishy," he hissed.

"You _know_ this freak?" Anne asked.

"You know this boy?" Balthazar asked Willium.

"He's the professor I told you about, the tactician who quotes Blitzwing?" Benjamin reminded.

"He's one of my best students," Willium said proudly. "A bit slow and a stickler for rules, not to mention he begins muttering out his thoughts when they're fast, but a clever lad, none the less."

"Ah, that's nice," Balthazar said, nodding. Then, without changing his attitude, he added, "Cuff him."

Smartmouth jumped forward eagerly, wanting some action. Benjamin dropped down and swung a leg out to knock Smartmouth's feet out from under her. Smartmouth, in stead, jumped up high in the air. She hunched her shoulders strangely and twin white laser shots leaped from the air around her shoulders and at Benjamin, knocking her higher into the air. Both landed in fizzing hot spots on either side of Benjamin. He looked from one to the other and back up at Smartmouth as she landed, light-footed, on top of the blue and white Transport City taxi cab still parked near by.

"Woha!" he exclaimed.

Balthazar sighed and rolled his eyes, then drew his pistol and pointed it at Benjamin. The dark shadows of his angry personality were present on his face.

"Are you done?" he growled stiffly. "Good; allow yourself to be handcuffed…"

He swung his gun around to point at the prisoners.

"Or your friends will be painted with the blood of one of their own from a headshot."

"Josh, duck your head," Max instructed. "It's a big target."

The other prisoners started kicking him.

It was at that moment when a certain high-pitched Transformer's voice spoke from a radio set on a table in the Nazi's area.

"_Starscream to General Balthazar; as ordered by the __Lord__ Megatron, get your pathetic fleshling aft over to Dock 37 with __all__ the Efforts and the prisoners. It's on the south eastern end of the city. Be there by one or you're in trouble you pathetic hairless squirrel."_

"Is it me, or does he seem to be a bigger idiot than usual lately?" Shadowleap inquired.

"It's not you," Smartmouth replied. "He's been nutty with all the fighting lately."

"As crazy as me?" Balthazar said in the high-pitched voice marking his "craziest" side.

"If he is, I'm killing him," Smartmouth stated.

Balthazar closed his eyes and shook his head briefly, mentally struggling to grab control of his own body again.

"Load the prisoners in the truck," he instructed, placing one hand to his head while the other gestured to one of the swastika-branded army trucks. "We will bring the two tanks and two jeeps and Decepticon Mash with us. Come, come!"

The prisoners were un-handcuffed and led to the truck by several of Balthazar's men while Skywarp and Thundercracker flew from the warehouse with their Efforts in side their jet forms. Smartmouth, Ferrofluid, and Skynet all mutely got into the black and yellow jeep that was apparently Mash. Skynet made sure to keep a hold on the duffle bag with Jess' Pointblank inside. Benjamin, Josh, Max, Becky, Anne, and Jess and all got into the back of the designated army truck with a canvas cover on its back. Four Nazi guards joined them in the back and Willium drove with Balthazar in shot gun. A few minutes later the caravan started off through the ruined streets of Transport City with a tank leading the way, followed by a jeep, the truck, another jeep, and the last tank, with Mash driving around them.

As they drove, Benjamin told his friends about everything Shadowleap had told him. Everyone was just as awe-struck as he was about hearing the story.

"Moriguchi did _what_ to the poor girl??" Jess exclaimed. "Oh he is _so_ dead!"

"That explains the attitude," Anne commented, "But to that energon thing; so that means that now that we've ingested energon, we might be developing powers?"

"I think I may be able to detect lies now," Becky said. "When Rumble and Frenzy were having their bragging competition before breakfast, my head kept buzzing off the block."

"Let's test that," Anne said. "Max, say something about your self."

"I'm hot!" Max declared.

Becky waited a moment before she shook her head slowly, "Uh, no, that's not a lie, actually."

"Say that you're smart!" Anne ordered.

"I am a genius," Max said proudly.

"No buzz, oh, Primus, I hope that this thing is just broken…"

"You're vain," Jess told Max.

"I'm related to Sunstreaker," Max replied.

Becky sat up and exclaimed, "Hey! I felt it! He's lying!"

"Oh, damnit," Max cursed. "Sunstreaker's really cool, too."

"Anyone else developing powers we can _use_?" Jess asked. "Like invisibility or something?"

No one was.

"Um, so when you talk about this 'Changing' thing," Max ventured. "Does that actually and literally mean that the Effort can go from being human to being a _Transformer_?"

"Well, technically," Anne corrected. "The Effort was never human in the first place; just possessing _human_ bodies. So, when they do this 'Change' thing they're actually just becoming an Effort in Transformer form."

"Thank you Captain Killjoy," Josh said, rolling his eyes, "For ruining the awesomeness of shape shifting."

"How do we do it?" Max asked. "I wanna go killer robot and kick some aft!"

"Well," Benjamin replied. "According to Shadowleap, an Effort can access their robot form by stabbing their Spark chamber, right by their heart, with something metal. It can be a bullet or something sharp and metal. Or they can soak in energon, but that's longer and more painful. The stabbing or shot thing is instant."

"Cool, hey, Nazi man, shoot me," Max told the nearest guard to him.

The mentioned guard reared his head back in surprise and exchanged looks with his fellow guards, who had raised their eye brows in amusement. Two looked at each other and one shrugged.

"Do not shoot the yellow-haired boy," Balthazar spoke up without looking back. "We can not kill him just yet."

"Come on!" Max bugged, "You know you wanna! Come on. Come on. Come _oooon_; you know you wanna. Come on, who's a good Nazi? Who's a good Nazi? Who's a good monster of death and heartlessness? Come on, who's a good—"

At that moment, a cruiser fell from the sky and crashed into a near by building, making the entire caravan slammed on its brakes. Mash's doors opened and Smartmouth, Skynet, and Ferrofluid got out, staring at the smoking warehouse. Thundercracker and Skywarp flew by over head, shooting into the smoking warehouse. Their fire was returned with a single, yellow-tinged laser blast from the smoke. The laser blast clipped Skywarp in the wing tip and he spun away, crashing into Thundercracker and sending both Seekers smashing into a building across the street. A yellow streak bounded out of the smoking building, shooting at the leading tank and blowing it up before kicking the first jeep in the caravan into the buildings before standing over the prisoner truck.

It was Sunstreaker, looking like a demon of hell with his paint scraped and his body dented. But the worst of his injuries… Okay, this author is going to put this to the reader as bluntly as possible: His right eye was optic gone. And it was very messy.

_"I'm going to kill you all!!"_ he roared, his voice echoing out over the city.

Everyone and this means _everyone_, humans, Efforts, Nazis, Nazi Efforts, and Nazi Effort's second-in-command, screamed in panic at Sunstreaker's energon-bloody face and missing optic. Willium slammed on the gas with the truck in reverse, crashing into the jeep behind them and stalling the truck. The last surviving tank's soldiers were trying to figure out what the screaming was about and its port hole on top opened up as a soldier came out to see what the matter was. Upon seeing Sunstreaker, the scout dropped right back into the tank. They decided to pretend they were stalled and couldn't fight.

"Is he really going to kill us all?" Becky whimpered, sitting on Josh's lap and hugging him.

"Oh, nah, of course not," Josh said, suddenly feeling braver with Becky on his lap. "You know Sunstreaker; all bark no bite."

Sunstreaker shot at the truck, missed, and blew a hole in the ground deep enough to reach through the ten feet of reinforced concrete and metal to reach the water below.

"Most of the time," Josh squeaked, hugging Becky close to him.

"Woha, woha, Sunstreaker, hold up!" Sideswipe exclaimed, appearing beside Sunstreaker.

He, too, was dented and banged up from the crash, but the worst he had was some energon leaking from his audio receptors. Now he turned and yanked the canvas back off of the stalled army truck as he continued speaking, trying to keep Sunstreaker still.

"Let's get that nasty wound of yours cleaned up, yeah? There you go," he said, tying a crude tourniquet around Sunstreaker's missing optic area, covering up the metal horror. "There, all patched up. And you look rather dashing, if I do say so myself!"

Sunstreaker's remaining optic narrowed in hatred as he tucked the nozzle of his gun up under Sideswipe's chin.

"Or not," Sideswipe said quietly. "It's all opinion, you know, uh… Hey! It's the kids!" he suddenly exclaimed, seeing the prisoners. "Hey, Prowl! We found Becky, she's over here!"

Prowl came out of the destroyed warehouse, coughing and stumbling with energon leaking from wounds on his neck and sides. Upon hearing Becky's name, he perked up and half-stumbled over to the army truck. The haunted look in his optics finally faded out when he saw Becky. He started reaching out to pick her up.

"Becky…" he said softly.

At that moment, an orange and white streak flew from the sky and double-foot kicked Prowl in the chest, flattening it considerably as it sent him flying up the street to land, bouncing and skidding on his back. The orange and white streak took back up skyward to show that it was a slim Seeker femme.

"Guys!?" she yelled at Mash and the Decepticon Efforts. Apparently, something like this had happened before.

"This is entertaining, Solarflare," Smartmouth chuckled.

"_I'm_ not fighting Sunstreaker!" Mash snorted.

As if to show Solarflare why, Sunstreaker suddenly appeared behind her and karate-chopped her back, making her engines chug and stall as she dropped to the ground with a small cry.

"Bro!" Sideswipe exclaimed. "Don't hit a girl!"

In payment for his chivalry, Solarflare stood up, turned around, and punched him in the face.

"Kick her aft," the red Lambo twin said before falling on the ground unconscious.

Prowl, by now, had started sitting up, rubbing his head where he had hit it. He looked up and gasped as Solarflare pounced on him. Sunstreaker was running after her, his optic flaring a strange, creepy blue while in the midst of a battle rage brought on by a bad day. Prowl kicked up at Solarflare, catching her on her abdomen and sending her flying over his head to land in a tumble beyond him.

"Usually, I like femmes," Sunstreaker said, aiming his gun at the Seeker. "But today, I'm making exceptions."

A black metal hand with yellow accents fell on his shoulder and spun him around. Mash head butted Sunstreaker in the head and the yellow Autobot stumbled back, shaking his head in surprise.

"Hurt her again and I'll murder you," Mash growled.

A flap of metal wings sounded out and black and dark orchid mech with the antennae and wings of a moth landed beside Solarflare, helping her stand. The Decepticon symbol was displayed largely on his large wings.

"Solarflare…" he said softly.

"I'm fine, Flickword, let's just kick some aft."

"_Banzai!!"_

At the last shout, Sideswipe landed a flying foot to the shoulder blades of Flickword. His recovery time was remarkable.

"Oh, now _that's_ rude!" Solarflare snarled, guns flaring as she turned on Sideswipe.

"Hey, you're fight's with me, femme!" Prowl growled, standing up.

Thus their fight began; Mash versus Sunstreaker, Prowl versus Solarflare, and Sideswipe versus Flickword.

But going back to the Efforts and approximately ten minutes ago, just as Prowl was getting his aft kicked clear up the street…

Benjamin suddenly kicked at one guard and punched out another. Becky snatched the gun from the guard near her and swung it into the face of the same guard and Anne rabbit punched the guard beside her several times before he slumped over unconscious. Max looked at his fist, to the remaining guard sitting by him, and back again, then laughed and waved his hand dismissively at him.

"Yeah, right!" he laughed.

Fortunately, Jess took out the guard for him by standing up and kicking him twice across the face. Balthazar and Willium watched it all happen in less than a minute and a half and appeared to be fairly impressed.

"Wow," Balthazar stated.

"Mmhmm," Willium agreed, nodding.

"Later!" Max suddenly whooped, jumping from the truck.

His fellow Autobot Efforts also leaped from the truck, making a break for it, but were stopped when Ferrofluid, Smartmouth, and Skynet moved into their way. Smartmouth reached into her pocket, drawing out a small stack of cassettes and a hand-held computer that she tossed up into the air. When they landed, they had transformed into Ravage, Laserbeak, Frenzy, and Rumble. Buzzsaw promptly flew off to check on the Decepticon Seekers Thundercracker and Skywarp.

"Oh you have _got_ to be kidding," Max muttered.

"Go back, or we aren't," Smartmouth stated.

Balthazar and Willium got out of their truck to watch the face off.

"Should we assist them, sir?" Willium inquired.

"Nein," Balthazar replied, shaking his head. "Let us see how well the Autobots have trained their children to fight."

"Well then," Benjamin said to the Decepticon Efforts, clenching his fists. "Then it's time for us to go on the hostile front."

"Let's do it!" Frenzy whooped, charging at Becky.

Then _their_ fight began.


	22. Ice, Ice Baby

**Disclaimer: Hasbro owns Transformers. I own the story and (almost) everything in it. The Great Susinko owns Solarflare.**

**Chapter 22: Ice, Ice, Baby**

"Optimus wants you to do _what_!?" Jack Turbine exclaimed, sitting up in bed.

"Come with him in an exchange of prisoners," Ratchet replied, packing the last of his in-field medical equipment in compartments in his arm. "He, Ironhide, Jazz, Bumblebee, and I will be able to get the Autobot Efforts back safely if we surrender ourselves. Optimus and Bumblebee already surrendered themselves, and Ironhide bolted out the door the instant he heard the terms for the sake of Jess. I'm... stalling."

"But who will lead the Autobots?" Wheeljack asked, sitting by Turbine's bed in the Infarmery. All the other beds were full and people were even on the floor in cots, but the Infarmery was still in tact at the headquarters, which was a blessing. Jack had a recovering cracked skull and concussion from the kidnapping event two days ago when the Cassetticons had gotten a knock on him. Was it really such a short time ago?

"Well, we're thinking either you or Gears, Wheeljack" Ratchet said truthfully. "But since Gears is so old, I guess you'll do it."

"Primus, you better be kidding me," an injured Autobot coughed, over hearing the conversation.

"Agreed," Wheeljack and Jack Turbine said.

"I'm late; the exchange should be going on at any moment—"Ratchet said.

At that moment, a distant mech roared, "I'm going to kill you all!"

Everyone froze where they were, optics and eyes wide in shock. Ratchet looked towards the metal-covered and barricaded windows uneasily.

"Was that Sunstreaker?" Turbine asked.

"If it was, then I suddenly don't think that the prisoner exchange is going to happen," Ratchet said, moving quickly towards the door.

"So where are you going?" Wheeljack called after him.

"To make sure a certain someone doesn't poke out an optic with scissors or something!" Ratchet replied before he was gone. He had no idea about the irony he had just spoken...

After a long moment of careful thought, Wheeljack and Jack exchanged looks. Then the worst thing anyone could see on their faces appeared.

A grin.

"Wanna go rig something to blow up?" Wheeljack asked.

"Hell yeah!" Turbine agreed.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Buzzsaw fluttered into the ruined warehouse and saw Thundercracker on his back and unconscious with Skywarp on his hands and knees beside him. He chirped quizzically as he circled over them.

"Y-Yeah, we're fine," Skywarp coughed as Shadowleap teleported to his shoulder and he sat back. "Just a little roughed up, that's all."

A small hand appeared in the shadows of Thundercracker's cock pit and pressed itself against the glass. The hand glowed momentarily and Thundercracker awoke with a loud gasp and a hitch of his engine systems, his red optics blazing to life. He sat up quickly as his cock pit opened and checked on Cartwheel nestled with in there. She yawned and waved dreamily up at him; she was tired, but okay. Thundercracker shut his cock pit again as he looked around at his surroundings. He heard the battle going on outside and he instantly knew what he wanted to do.

"Okay, sounds like everyone's got a duel partner out there," he said. "And I don't want to go out there again with Cartwheel; it's too dangerous."

"For once, I agree," Skywarp replied as Buzzsaw landed on his shoulder. "So, what, we continue playing dead in here until things are just oh-so-convenient to move?"

"Hey, we've done it before," Thundercracker said, leaning back against a wall as he linked his fingers behind his head. "And it's the only reason why we've been kept alive this long."

"How about you, Buzzsaw," Skywarp asked the Cassetticon bird. "You gonna hide, too?"

Buzzsaw nodded with no shame and transformed into cassette mode, chirping smugly before going into recharge. He was _not_ the type to put out a hundred percent effort.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Benjamin ducked a kick from Smartmouth then turned to the side as she let loose some shoulders shots at him. Max scrambled back on his back end from the ground space the shots hit, trying to avoid Ferrofluid, who had grounded him with a simple foot-swipe. His mouth was babbling, trying to get out of a situation he was completely not equipped for.

"Oh, come on, man," Max babbled. "This is so not fair, I mean, I can't even punch! Look at me, I'm a noodle!"

Ferrofluid kicked at him. He raised one of his fists even as it underwent a remarkable change: The flesh became metal as the fist grew and hardened, turning the fingers into long, sharp claws. The color of the metal was a pale bluish lavender color, and went as far as his elbows. Throwing his hand out, one of his fists jumped out from its socket on a long metal cable and punched the pavement in front of Max, shattering it like clay.

"I'm a noodle! I'm a noodle!" Max yelped again, as if _that_ would help.

He got to his feet and continued walking/running back and away from Ferrofluid, passing by Anne, who was circling Ravage and growling just like the panther. Max glanced at her.

"You know, that is _seriously_ disturbing," Max stated.

"Shut up!" Anne and Ravage snarled at the same time to him. They exchanged looks.

"You talk?" Anne asked.

"When I wish," Ravage hissed then pounced on Anne.

Becky, meanwhile, was blocking kicks and punches from Frenzy, trying to figure out how she, a fleshling, could beat something that was hard enough to reflect any attempted back damage on her. Of the entire party, Josh was having the worst time. Already he had been kicked clear up the street by Rumble and taken some hits, as the bruises and cut on his cheek showed. Now he sat up yet again, scrambling to his feet upon seeing the lavender Cassetticon approaching. The robot's boots clomped ominously on the ground as he approached.

"You know you're not going to escape," Rumble pointed out. "So why do you keep getting up and trying?"

"Because I _need_ to," Josh replied simply, picking up a long, thick stick of metal from the blown up tank. It looked like it had been a re-enforcement band at one time. Pulling off his white jacket, exposing the black tee shirt beneath, Josh wrapped his jacket around the sharp edges of the metal to make a hand grip and held it like a baseball bat.

"A club?" Rumble laughed, pointing at the crude weapon. "Are you for real?"

"It works," Josh said, shrugging. "Wanna see?"

Before Rumble could reply, Josh swung his club, catching Rumble right up across the face and making his head turn as the metal on his cheeks became badly scratched and gouged. He even stumbled back a pace. He began to slowly turn his face back, but Josh was not about to loose the momentum and went in swinging like he was back in Little League Baseball shooting for the home run.

Sideswipe paused to look over at this classic example of baseball-skills-turned-fighting-skill.

"Wow," he commented. "Kid's got a swing."

Flickword's large black fist connected with his head, making it snap up. Sideswipe snapped it back down, glaring at Flickword.

"Hey! Hey!" he exclaimed. "Can't a guy admire a little buddy's skills?"

A dark orchid-purple moth wing smacked him across the face and he turned it back.

"What the hell!?" Sideswipe demanded, catching the next fist and grabbing the elbow in either hand. "I'm trying to make conversation with you while you're trying to kill me and you keep being rude!"

He swung Flickword around, belaying the size difference between him and his larger opponent to slam into the wall behind him. Flickword landed with his back to the wall, upside down. His captured arm's hand held onto Sideswipe's own and swung him up like a rag doll, bashing him against the wall before they both fell in a mass of limbs on the ground.

"Sorry, it's nothing personal," Flickword replied, shrugging. "I'm just following orders."

"Which are…?" Sideswipe asked, wriggling out from under Flickword.

Flickword got to his feet, catching Sideswipe's leg and pulling him back to him.

"Kick or kill all Autobot aft."

Sideswipe passed, screaming, through the air over Sunstreaker and Mash. Sunstreaker was on his back, pinned there by Mash as the brawny black and yellow jeep slammed his flat-fingered fist into the one-optic, battle-enraged mech over and over again. Sunstreaker suddenly snarled, his blue optic becoming purple, and head butted Mash, knocking Mash onto his back and thus switching their places. Sunstreaker got to his feet and jumped up high, aiming to slam both feet into Mash's chest and hopefully crush the Spark chamber with in. Mash drew two guns from his thigh holsters and shot up, western cowboy style, at Sunstreaker.

Sunstreaker moved like a cat, avoiding the shots and turning his double foot stomp into an elbow-driven pile driver right into Mash's abdomen. Mash's systems squawked in a Transformer's "oof", his guns falling from his hands. Sunstreaker back-handed him along the top of his head and Mash retaliated by seizing Sunstreaker's ruined right side of his face in one large hand and slamming Sunstreaker's head into the pavement. Sunstreaker reached out, scooping up one of Mash's dropped guns, and shot at Mash's knee with it. Mash let go of Sunstreaker, crying out in pain as he clutched his shattered knee. Sunstreaker stood up and Mash followed, hopping on his one good leg and proving that even while hobbled, he could still hop after Sunstreaker in an almost freakishly fast pace.

Sunstreaker backed up past Prowl's and Solarflare's fight with Mash pursuing him. Solarflare was proving to be a femme of the agile caliber, constantly dodging Prowl's shots and any punches or kicks he attempted in close range combat. She had not even struck him yet.

"Why don't you just fight me and end it?" Prowl growled through clenched teeth plates, watching as the Seeker landed on an intact roof top.

"You're wounded and weak," she replied, crossing her arms and looking away, "I will not dishonor myself by defeating someone who has already been softened up."

"Honor," Prowl laughed shortly. "Look at that insignia on your wings!"

Solarflare did, looking at the Decepticon symbol stamped on her wings.

"That insignia is what you got for turning in things like mercy, honor, and goodness. You're a Decepticon; you're not supposed to believe in honor."

"Well now, Mr. Prowl," Solarflare said, her scarlet optics glowing in barely suppressed rage. "I'm afraid that you've just insulted me _very_ severely."

Thus speaking she dove down upon the patrol car 'Former, giving him the fight he wanted.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Willium, mean while, was staring at the scene with a dropped jaw, clearly impressed or shocked by the display. Behind him, the so-called "stalled" tank's soldiers were passing bets on who was going to win which fight. Beside him, Balthazar calmly unscrewed the cap of his thermos and enjoyed a lid-mug of energon. Willium looked over when the jeep behind them began to slowly back up out of the caravan. He looked over to Balthazar as he pointed at the quietly backing away jeep.

"General," he said. "The remaining jeep is fleeing."

"No it's not," Balthazar stated.

To agree, there was a scream of brakes and a metal crash. Whipping his head around, Willium saw that an ambulance had crashed into the back of the front-rammed jet, making it significantly shorter. At first, Willium thought the ambulance had been split apart by the crash, but it continued splitting and parts switched around as it stood up, transforming into Ratchet.

"Hey!" he bellowed, "What the Pit is going on here!?"

Everyone froze and looked over at him. Silence reigned on the street.

"Poppa!" Anne declared, throwing Ravage down from the head lock she had and running to her dad.

"Oh, Anne-baby!" Ratchet cooed, kneeling and picking up Anne as she came to him.

This author will not make the reader vomit with the baby talk he spoke to her, but let's just say that half way through, everyone listening had to suppress snickers or bouts of vomiting. Ratchet looked at the other people. His optics narrowed as he drew a wrench from a compartment in his side. He tossed it up, spinning, and caught it, aiming it at the watchers.

"What? Do you want to say something?" he growled. Almost everyone flinched away, fearing what the infamous doctor would do to them with that wrench.

"Yes, actually;" Ferrofluid spoke up. "A prisoner exchange is set to occur with in half an hour and we're running late enough as it is, so please," Ferrofluid said, stepping forward. He looked up as his eyes glowed golden yellow briefly. "Shut up and die."

Pale red light suddenly encompassed Ferrofluid in a white, red-tinted light. Even as they watched, they could see through the light metal sprouting from flesh and folding over delicate limbs even as they became hard and hiding the humanity of the young man. It happened too fast for them to get a good look at it, but what the witnesses saw was enough to make even Ratchet step back in surprise. A loud buzz sounded out and a set of ragged-edged metal dragon fly wings pierced the white light and swept it aside, revealing a new mech.

The new mech appeared to be a simple enough Transformer; pale bluish lavender with black accents and a black visor with wing-like sensory antennae that were a clear call out to his father, as well as the protruding square chest plate. Then they noticed that his hands were actually long four-fingered claws, and he had a pair of large, ragged-edged dragonfly wings. But even as this fact was registered, the wings dissolved into so many strips of metal and wrapped around him to resemble a ragged-edged over coat. He brushed his shoulders off, his antennae twitching at the tips that made people thing of an insect. Ferrofluid the Transformer smirked and revealed a set of sharp teeth.

"The girl?" he inquired, holding out a hand.

"Hold tight, honey," Ratchet told Anne, setting her on his shoulder. He drew a second wrench from a compartment in his arm and spun both wrenches in his hands before regaining a firm grip on them. Ferrofluid shrugged then jumped into attack mode with Ratchet.

"This is taking too long!" Smartmouth hissed. "It's fun, but too long! Frenzy, Rumble, use all you got to grab the Efforts and—Frenzy? Rumble?"

Looking around, she saw that Frenzy was fighting Becky and Rumble was fighting Josh. Everyone had gone back to fighting. She turned and glared at Balthazar and Willium, silently either accusing them of the way things had fallen apart or ordering them to fix it.

Balthazar and Willium exchanged looks. Willium seemed to be asking Balthazar to do something, depending on his look that said, "Come on; don't play that game with me, just do it." Balthazar rolled his eyes, replying mutely, "oh, fine, I will, but I don't want to". Balthazar screwed the cap back onto his thermos, clipping it to his belt, and took a deep breath, straightening his jacket and stepping forward. He raised both hands high over head, letting the gloved palms hover inches from one another. After a long moment, he clapped them together.

The effect was instant and almost magical.

A burst of blue ice appeared under Balthazar's feet and spread out around him in a shockwave of water and ice, rushing out to encase all that was metal. Willium jumped and spun around to look at the army truck as it was encompassed by ice. Men coming out of the crashed jeep slipped and fell as the ice slid by under their feet. Ravage jumped up, yowling in disapproval as the ice tried reaching up his legs. Ferrofluid's wings unwrapped from around him, becoming a buzzing mass as he shot into the air. Flickword caught Mash up under the arms and lifted him into the air while Solarflare caught up Frenzy, Rumble and Ravage. Below them, Ratchet's feet were frozen to the ground as the ice climbed up his legs to his knees. Prowl, Sideswipe, and Sunstreaker were farther away from the ice blast and hence, did not get frozen to the ground like Ratchet, but frost still collected on their metal selves.

The end result was that all fleshlings were left alone, and much of the street had become an ice rink.

"What the--!?" Josh exclaimed.

"This is why I am superior!" Balthazar roared, caught up by his mean side, "Now stop this nonsense or the next blast will turn you all into frozen popsicles! And don't make me use my flame field!!"

"The jeep's frozen," Max muttered, mentioning the now-frozen machinery.

"Then we walk!" Balthazar snarled. "Now, obey me, or so help me Primus…" He clenched a fist in frustration, shaking it at them. "You will all _roast_."

Josh, Max, Anne, Becky, and Benjamin all stared at him for a long moment.

"Well," Max said. "Plan B."

As one, all the Autobot Efforts and Josh took off running in different directions.

"_RUN!!"_ Max screamed.

Balthazar's eye twitched as his shoulders slowly slumped and the Decepticon Efforts and Decepticons ran off after the prisoners. Becky got to Prowl as he transformed into a police cruiser, jumping in to him just before he sped off and away from them. Flickword dropped Mash, making him do a ground-shaking landing, but the Lambo Twins had already retreated. Mash transformed into jeep mode and Solarflare assumed her jet form and the followed the Lambo Twins and Prowl.

"Run, Anne, run!" Ratchet ordered.

Ravage tried chasing after Max, but he slipped and fell down hard on his stomach. Frenzy and Rumble chased after the yellow skater boy.

"Come on, Ravage, you're a cat!" Rumble teased. "You're light on your feet, you know?"

Ravage snarled bitterly before getting to his feet and bounding after Anne just as she slid down from her father's leg. Of the conscious and battle-worthy Nazis, two chased after Josh and three after Benjamin. Smartmouth, Ferrofluid, Balthazar, and Willium stayed with the wrecked caravan. Willium patted Balthazar on the shoulder comfortingly.

"There, there, general," Willium cooed gently. "They _are_ of the Autobot caliber, after all."

Balthazar smiled and stood straighter, looking at Willium as he agreed, "You are right. It was my mistake to under estimate both them and the conditions of the world around us. Decepticon Efforts Ferrofluid and Smartmouth, what do you recommend we do?"

"Hey, I don't take orders from Megatron," Smartmouth replied, examining her finger nails. "I just take 'em from Mextron."

"That goes for me, too," Ferrofluid added, beginning to tease the helpless and frozen-in-place Ratchet. Ratchet narrowed his optics at the Decepticon Effort, but made no move, lest he accidentally sign his death warrant.

"Hmm, I should really get to know this Mextron everyone keeps talking about," Balthazar commented, rubbing his chin. "Son of Megatron, eh? Must be quite a boy…"

"Sir, speaking of boys, may I join the pursuit of Benjamin?" Willium asked.

"Go, go," Balthazar replied, waving a hand dismissively, "But just return in one piece, yeah?"

Willium saluted smartly before running off in the direction Benjamin had gone, expressing amazing foot work by not slipping on the thick ice that coated everything. Some of the injured men from the flipped-over jeep were bashing the ice apart with their guns and holding it to their bruised and broken parts. Balthazar looked around, realizing something.

"Wait a moment," he said. "Where are Skynet, Laserbeak, and the gun girl?"


	23. Summer Lovin'

**Disclaimer: Hasbro owns Transformers. I own the story and (almost) everything in it.**

**Chapter 23: Summer Lovin'**

Megatron stood at the dock, facing a rather peeved-looking Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, and Ironhide. Soundwave and Starscream were on either side of him. Megatron checked his internal clock and was annoyed to find that they were running late: Ratchet and Prowl had yet to turn up and his own prisoners had failed to show up, as well. Turning away from the Autobots, he pressed a hand to the side of his head as he spoke to the communications link.

"This is Megatron to Decepticon Mash, what is taking you so long with the prisoners?"

"_My Lord, we were ambushed and the prisoners got away,"_ the jeep replied. _"I am in pursuit of one of them right now."_

"Ambushed? In our own territory? By who?" Megatron demanded.

Behind him, the Autobots exchanged hopeful glances and Starscream smirked triumphantly in Megatron's misfortune.

"_By Autobots Sideswipe, Sunstreaker, and Prowl. They crash-landed their cruiser right along our route. Ratchet came along shortly after and put the fight over the edge to have the Efforts escape."_

"What of the Decepticon Efforts or the Cassetticons I had you have as back up?"

"_Even with their help, we failed. My apologies, my Lord."_

"Apologies accepted," Megatron grunted. "Do you know the locations of the escaped prisoners?"

"_Negative, my Lord. I am not even sure where I am chasing this one too; she is in Autobot Prowl with the Lambo Twins and—"_

"Do you see warehouses?"

"_Negative, my—"_

"Break from the chase; it's a—"

Someone shouted something on the other side and there was a massive crash of metal. After a minute, he could hear the triumphant hooting of Autobots.

"Trap," Megatron finished with a sigh as he turned to a different channel. "This is Megatron to Deception Mextron, come in, Mextron."

"_Yes, sir?"_ someone replied.

"The caravan was ambushed and the prisoners escaped. Pursue them."

"_Yes, sir,"_ was the simple reply before a click cut the communications link off.

Megatron turned off the communications link and turning back to the Autobots.

"Well, Autobots," he sneered. "It looks like luck is on your side today. But the day is not over yet."

In spite of Megatron's threatening words, the Autobots stood straighter and smirked knowingly at Megatron.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Jazz looked down at the comatose forms of Solarflare, Flickword, and Mash before holstering his gun and turning to Prowl and the Lambo Twins. Prowl was holding Becky close, petting her like a beloved pet.

"You all okay?" he asked.

"Look at my face!" Sunstreaker wailed.

"That's good. Where are the others?"

"Last we saw; getting chased," Sideswipe replied.

A he spoke, he pulled a bed sheet down from a clothes line hanging between two apartment building and replaced Sunstreaker's face bandage with it.

"Where?" Jazz asked.

"The warehouse district, near dock 37," Prowl replied.

Without wasting another breath, Jazz fell into his Porsche form fast enough to make his metal body clunk on its axel before speeding away from them, spitting smoke from his rear tires as they screamed on the pavement.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Jess had kicked and struggled with Skynet as he had hauled her into an abandoned warehouse a block away from the fight. Laserbeak circled outside and over head, making sure no one intruded. Already, tales of what happened to women at war were haunting Jess' head, making her fight all the more harder when Skynet tossed her down on a large pile of empty burlap sacks in the warehouse that had, at one time, been a grain processor. Jess opened her mouth to start screaming for Skynet to get away from her, but what ever protest she had died in her throat when a duffel bag was tossed onto her lap.

She looked down at the bag, up to Skynet, and back and forth a few more times. Skynet simply nodded and Jess eagerly tore into the bag, drawing out Pointblank. There it was; completely unharmed and intact. Her belt with the holster and ammo pouches was in the bag, as well, and that went around her waist before she loaded up Pointblank. Suddenly, she froze, looking at Skynet. She stood.

"Why are you doing this?" she began."We're on opposite sides. You're with the Decepticons, I'm with the Autobots. Our sides _hate_ each other! I could kill you right now…" She raised a loaded Pointblank to point at Skynet's head. "And I could be completely justified. So why are you helping me?"

Skynet had no reply. He paced a few steps, then looked over to a wall where several pipes dangled freely, their machinery gone. Jess' eyes widened as the pipes suddenly bent and turned on each other, weaving themselves into an amazing, intricate pattern. It had no picture, but it was still beautiful enough to be indescribable and take Jess' breath away.

Jess stared at the metal wall, then at Skynet and at the wall again.

"Amazing…" she whispered.

Skynet suddenly slumped by her and she caught him from collapsing to the ground.

"Oh!" she exclaimed. "H-here, let's sit you down here. When was the last time you _slept?_"

Skynet shrugged cluelesslly.

_Wait, why am I suddenly so concerned for him?_ She wondered as she and Skynet sat down on the burlap sack pile.

But she could not answer herself.

She glanced over again at the metal-woven wall and said, "So, uh, where'd you learn a nifty trick like that?"

Skynet shrugged and made a waving gesture that translated to an apathetic, "Around."

"Um, Benjamin told us that Shadowleap had told him all about you guys. Are you really Soundwave's son?"

Skynet tilted his head mere fractions at her and tapped his red visor.

"Ah, I see. Heh, obvious, isn't it?"

Skynet tilted his chin down once and raised it.

"Are you…" Jess said hesitantly. "Are you like the Decepticons; mean, cold-hearted, killing monsters?"

Skynet stared at her for a moment then raised a gloved hand. He let it hover just over her face and tilted his head quizzically at her. She gulped and nodded, curiosity getting the better of her. Skynet placed his hand over her face and Jess gasped as visions filled her head.

Growing up in an underground world of tall, wide, white halls in the middle of the desert in a hell-on-earth, the only place more barren then the desert and colder than the laboratories were the hearts of the guards and doctors who had raised Skynet. Experiments, loveless lives, cruel mind-numbing medication, and being seen as an animal were just a few of the disgraces and in justices he was forced to suffer. The only solace he found was in his fellow Decepticon Efforts; Shadowleap, Cartwheel, Smartmouth, Ferrofluid, and above all Mextron. Their human names were shadows at the back of his mind, but each and every one of them he loved dearly. They never saw him as a monster, a freak, or some strange anomaly, but as himself, a fellow child, fourteen years old of age (_Wait, he's two years younger than me?_ Jess thought briefly. _Never mind, it doesn't matter.)_ trying to keep their sanity and their faith in humanity they had only seen from the inside of stealth cruiser over cities and from controlled TV.

Then they had rescued their fathers from captivity. Skynet was neutral on the outcome of this act, caring only if his fellow Efforts were pleased in their actions and if Soundwave, his father, cared for him _in that order_. He was loyal to the Decepticon Efforts like his father was loyal to Megatron and nothing could sway them from that. Was he a "mean, cold-hearted killing monster"? Jess was allowed to draw her own conclusion from that. Skynet knew one thing for certain on this matter and nothing was going to sway him: He followed Mextron, and the rest of the world could go to hell for all Skynet cared.

Jess slumped against Skynet, gasping, when he removed his hand and ended the visions. Her head was spinning like the settling water of a whirl pool and she felt like she had just run miles without getting a cramp.

_Amazing_, her mind whispered, reveling in the telepathic message's echo.

"Wow," was all she could whisper.

She felt something stroking her hair and raised one of her hands. It came into contact with Skynet's own gloved hand as it ran across her strawberry blond hair. She sat up and looked at him, and he looked right back. Skynet's hand wrapped around her hand and, after a moment, Jess returned the favor. For a long moment they sat there, hand in hand and staring at each other. They had completely forgotten that they were on opposite sides of the war going on outside. Silence protected them and privacy was their apartment. Her pale blue eyes stared at his ruby red visor, and neither noticed as their heads slowly approached…

Until a bird squawked loudly, making them jump and looked up.

Laserbeak was flying right outside one of the large windows. He screeched and chirped something at them before flying away.

"Did he, uh…" Jess said nervously, looking away, but then back at Skynet.

Skynet nodded, then stood up.

"Do not fear," he said, looking away from Jess. "He will not betray me."

Jess stared at him, wondering why she was so shocked until it registered in her that the mute boy had finally spoken for the first time since they met.

"You must go," Skynet said, turning his red visor to Jess. "Put me in stasis and flee. Laserbeak will not pursue."

"Wait, you mean _knock you out_?" Jess exclaimed.

"Yes. Do it. Now."

Jess didn't move, staring at Skynet.

"Do not make me manipulate you," Skynet threatened.

Jess swallowed, but refused to move. Manipulation, eh? How exactly would that—

Skynet's telepathic presence suddenly entered her mind, but rather than screen memories to her, it reached in and caught her up under her mental arms, picking her out of the control seat of her mind. Jess' world blurred briefly as she felt her body began moving.

_I warned you,_ Skynet's voice whispered in her head.

When she could see the world again, Skynet was sprawled on the ground in front of her, unconscious. Several gun blasts had shattered the pavement and some of the burlap sacks were burning. Jess stared in shock at the scene, staring at Pointblank in her hand and back to Skynet. After a moment, she knelt beside Skynet, gently moving some of his blue hair from his face. She reached for the scarf around his face…

Laserbeak flew into the warehouse through a shattered window, screeching impatiently. Jess leaped to her feet, holding Pointblank at ready as Laserbeak flew around her over head, chirping and whistling. She froze when something clicked in Laserbeak and an impatient male voice spoke from Laserbeak, barely being overhear around his bird talk.

"Come _on_ you stupid girl! Skynet's asked of me to escort you to safety, but time is running out for us to do such a thing without being caught. Come! Come quickly! Now!"

Jess glanced one last time at Skynet, but holstered Pointblank and ran below Laserbeak as he led the way out of the warehouse. Mentally, she made a vow.

_I don't know why you're doing this for me, but next time we meet I will be sure to repay the favor and ask you about it. Good bye, Skynet…_

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Max skidded to a halt when he found himself facing a dead end ally way. Turning around, he found himself facing Rumble and Frenzy. To his left was a dumpster and his right, three trash cans. Max backed up against the wall, groaning and cussing quietly.

"Alright, kiddo, now all you have to do is come with us and we won't have to be carrying your limbs separately," Rumble coaxed, approaching Max.

Max put up one last front, putting his chin up as he lied, "I-I-I'm not a-a-a-afraid of you!"

"Yeah, yeah, sure, what ever you say," Frenzy said dismissively, pulling Grind from his back and flipping the skateboard in his hands.

At that moment Max finally realized that Frenzy had been wearing his skateboard-carrying harness the entire time with Grind attached. He had probably not noticed because the black leather straps blended almost perfectly with in Frenzy's own black body. How ever it had gone so long unnoticed, Max's sky blue eyes brightened up in realization that someone else was man-handling his beloved skateboard.

"H-Hey!" he yelled. "That's mine!"

"Not any more," Frenzy snickered, balancing the skateboard on its end on one of his elbows like it was a pet bird. "It's mine now!"

"Oh, come on, you're way too heavy to ride a skateboard!"

"Which is why I'm going to shove it into some Autobot's midsection in mid-transformation to jam 'em up and break 'em."

The reaction was instant and unexpected. All Frenzy was aware of for the rest of his life about this moment was that something tapped him and he had woken up hours later with every fiber of his being aching from a mis-fired nerve circuit in his head, caused by a blunt impact. Rumble saw Max's eye twitch, then suddenly Frenzy was sprawled on the ground, completely unconscious, and Max was catching Grind as it fell back down through the air. Rumble stared with a dropped jaw as Max walked over to Frenzy's prone form with a swagger in his step and hummed a tune as he undid the straps of the harness on Frenzy. Once undone, Max easily pulled the harness off of Frenzy in one smooth motion that probably took skill. Max slipped into the harness, readjusting the straps as need be and patting it lovingly once it was set in place. He turned to Rumble.

"So," he said calmly. "Care to dare and try taking my skateboard from me again?"

"You humans and your material wants," Rumble said, shaking his head. "It's just down right strange."

"Correction: I am a human-Transformer _hybrid_," Max he dropped Grind and shoved his foot on it, making it fly up into the air and crash into Rumble's face before it bounced back right into his hands.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Ravage prowled amongst the rows of frozen cow meat hanging from the ceiling on their metal hooks. His warmed systems soon had to turn off their coolant systems in return for warming circuits as the meat processing plant's enormous freezer's temperature cooled him down. Steam floated up off of his black panther-robot body and his yellow optics flickered back and forth, seeking his prey.

One would think it an easy task to find a warm body in this freezer, especially with thermal vision, but the freezer's sophisticated cooling technology had warmth signatures neutralized and frozen as quickly as they were made. The only plus Ravage saw in this was that if he didn't get to the girl, Anne, first, the freezing temperatures would. Hopefully, she would attempt to make a break for warmer climates, but one could never tell with these humans; they always seemed ready to choose death over an alternative like slavery or capturing. Kamikaze; what a ridiculous, but scary, concept…

Ravage's head suddenly snapped around when a red heat signature appeared amongst the purple and blue. Switching to regular vision, he saw the shadow of his prey against the wall. Smirking, he crouched low and gathered his haunches beneath himself. He pounced, roaring, and ripped the frozen mass of cow meat from its hook. Anne dove away from him just in time with a small cry. A quick scan from Ravage showed that her body temperature was reaching room temperature; hypothermia was most defiantly setting in.

Jumping off of the meat, he growled as he approached the girl, who was now noticeably frightened.

"Come on, girl," he hissed. "This is futile. Just come with me and we can get you all warmed up and we can all end this war as soon as possible. Who knows, maybe I'll even make you my pet when Lord Megatron has taken over?"

Anne responded by pulling an empty hook down from the ceiling, pulling it as far as its chain in the ceiling would allow, and swung it at Ravage.

"Careful, now," Ravage cautioned, stepping back from her. "Don't want to go stabbing yourself, now."

"Scat, cat!" Anne snarled, swinging the hook back at him.

One of Ravage's ears twitched, the only sign of pure fury that rose up in him from the derogatory statement. Sighing, he raised a paw and swatted at the hook when it swung back at him.

"Oh knock it off and just—"

Anne cried out in pain when the hook bounced right back to pierce her chest. Ravage's optics clicked on an off in a surprised blink. He had _not_ been aiming to do that.

"Die?" he ended. He lowered his paw and watched as Anne collapsed to the floor as her blood steamed briefly in the frozen air before freezing into ruby crystals. "Well, now," he went on. "That was unexpected and unfortunate. But I presume the Lord Megatron was expecting to kill you any way, so I just moved his plans forward… a bit… soon…"

As he spoke, Ravage slowed and stopped talking together when he noticed something strange happen; the meat hook was glowing and disappearing into Anne. He stood up and backed up a few paces, growling uneasily as Anne began to glow and change. Her hands and feet became paws, her joints realigned themselves, and her over head changed even as her body hardened and became shiny metal. When the transformation was complete, Anne stirred, blinking cerulean optics as she regained life. Sitting up, she shook herself off and looked at herself.

She was a red and white feline of some sort; with slim limbs, dainty paws, and a long tail, with large optics and ears, she was quite a cutie. Her back and outsides of her legs, top of her head, and neck were all red while the underside, inner leg side, and underside of her muzzle were all white. She blinked her new optics again and looked up at Ravage. Ravage's jaw dropped, completely shell shocked at the strange change… and how adorable she was.

Anne suddenly meowed and bounded away. Ravage watched as she went, her long tail making an S in the air behind her and she leaped through the door they had entered through. Ravage continued staring at the door, the image of her playing over and over in his mind as he became oblivious to the ice forming on him.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Benjamin and Josh had ran into the same warehouse together. Unlike most of the other warehouses, this one still had working machinery; it was one of the city's news paper making plants and someone had failed to turn the machinery off before fleeing, screaming, from the city. Now the clatter of loud, enormous machinery was working, constantly making stack upon stack of news that was now three days out of date. Benjamin had had no issue in taking out his three Nazis. Josh had beaten back his two, but barely.

With a final, frantic swing of his crude metal club, Josh struck his opponent upside the head and the man fell against the railing, flipping over it to fall to the floor below. From their separate cat walks, Benjamin and Josh exchanged looks. Josh smiled and flashed the thumbs up sign, grinning a cheesy grin. Benjamin laughed and waved down at him with a cap he had stolen off of one of the soldiers in the fight.

"You're fighting better," a voice called over the machinery.

The smile disappeared from Benjamin as he spun around to face the speaker. They were clad in a silver-grey over coat with a matching fedora, and that was all Benjamin needed to see to recognize his opponent from the penthouse roof fight so soon, and yet, so long ago. He was standing at the end of a short walk way connected to Benjamin's own, and in one hand he held Benjamin's black transforming gun-sword. Benjamin still didn't know his face, but he knew his name.

"Mextron," Benjamin said. He was unsure if it was an acknowledging, impersonal greeting or a hissing, angry threat.

"Benjamin," Mextron replied, nodding. He tossed Benjamin's weapon to him. "I am here to defeat you and take you unconscious body back to Lord Megatron."

"I'd like to see you try," Benjamin stated.

"May the best man win."

Mextron jumped forward, spinning around to kick at Benjamin's head. Benjamin held up his gun, making Mextron land his foot on it, and spun around, making Mextron spin around and loose his balance, landing on his stomach on the cat walk. Mextron threw himself up in a handstand, attempting to kick Benjamin in the chin with his heels as he did a back flip onto his feet. Benjamin reared back easily and held his gun up to block Mextron's two more hits. Mextron backed up, humming in something like frustration or acknowledgement of an equal opponent. A bulge appeared in his right sleeve and a black arm cannon slid into his hand. He spun it in his hands and the gun became a long sword that widened slightly at the end before becoming a razor-sharp point. It was navy blue with a black handle, central stripe, and edge trimming.

Acknowledging the mute request, Benjamin pressed a button on his gun. The gun's parts broke apart and flattened, sliding together like the perfect puzzle to make a black short sword that was straight-edged and black. Something in Benjamin whimpered that he was already out matched, but he spun around and stabbed at Mextron, none the less. His shadow-faced opponent raised his blade to block Mextron's own and their fight began.

Josh had watched in amazement as this start of the duel took less than three minutes. He was drawn out of his watching stupor when a hand fell on his shoulder.

"Ah, yes," a familiar German voice said, "It's always pleased me to see my pupils putting their knowledge to good use."

Josh turned around and looked up to see Willium Walter standing behind him, looking up at Mextron and Benjamin as they dueled.

"I was hoping to test him myself, but…" Without taking his eyes off the fight, Walter suddenly punched Josh in the head, stunning him, and picked Josh up and threw him over his shoulder. "You will do."

_"_Woha, hey_,"_ Josh protested, struggling weakly as his senses straightened themselves out. "Put me down!"

"Oh, please," Willium laughed, walking through the cat walks to exit the machinery's realm. "Like that has ever worked?"

"Worth trying. Hey, aren't you going to, like, fight me or something, like everyone else?"

"Nein; I have become quite impatient with how everyone seems to get away when they are given a chance," Willium replied, exiting the warehouse. "All I want is to complete this mission and settle down with my General and discuss how we are going to rebuild this pathetic world together."

"Do you two have a thing for each other?"

Willium swung Josh down at this comment, throwing him on the paved road outside hard enough to make his head crack on the pavement as it bounced off of the ground. Sparks flew in Josh's head as his breathing became difficult for a moment and Willium drew a gun and pointed it to Josh. His eyes were wild and his hair was askew while his teeth were bared like a rabid demon dog.

"If you dare insult me like that again," Willium growled. "And I will shoot your knees out. If you dare insult _General Balthazar_ like that again, and I will shoot you like the mutt you are."

A Porsche's engine roared as it approached and Jazz turned onto the street. He transformed and skidded to a halt on his heels upon seeing Willium and Josh. Jazz clenched his teeth as he drew his gun when he saw what Willium was doing.

"Oh not on _this_ mech's life," he snarled.

That was when the pavement exploded behind Jazz.

**Sunny's and Side's Sub-Chapter #5**

* * *

"We have to call for back up from the headquarters to fight the Decepticons and rescue Optimus and the others," Prowl said, finishing tying up the unconscious Decepticons with some cable pulled from the walls of a ruined building.

"Already on it, boss," Sideswipe, tapping a finger to the side of his head. "Yo, Wheeljack, this is Sideswipe, we're back in town and we got Prowl. Listen, you know about the hostage exchange thing Megatron was gonna do with Optimus and the Efforts? Yeah, that got screwed out the exhaust pipe, so we're gonna need some back up to kick some Decepti-creep aft and—wait, what?"

Prowl and Becky looked over at him. Sunstreaker stopped rubbing his aching, damaged face long enough to look over at Sideswipe.

"Wait, wait, I caught the words 'disassembled missile system' and 'reprogrammed cleaning drones' and 'lasers' in all of that, now what--? What's the password to start it up? Operation Gang Bang Twang Bing-Bang Hang Slang Holder, what the Pit kind of password is that? Huh? Thanks, for what?"

A low explosion sounded out and they all looked up as three large rockets flew by over head.

One crashed in the docks right by where Megatron and his party was.

One crashed into the crunched jeep in Blitzwing's area.

The last crashed into some random guy's camp (IE: one _unlucky_ Nazi lieutenant).

From every missile capsule burst forth dozens of cleaning drones equipped with everything from laser guns and flame throwers to pizza cutters and automatic matches. All let loose electronic screams and war whoops as they attacked what ever moved near them.

Back with the Lambo Twins, Sideswipe slowly cut off the communications link, his jaw dropped in shock at what he had just started. Sunstreaker stared at Sideswipe look that said, "you are such an idiot".

"Sideswipe, tell me," Sunstreaker ventured. "Why is that every time you try doing something more important than getting laid or shot, you wind up making something really, really, really bad happen?"


	24. Reformatting

**Disclaimer: Hasbro owns Transformers. I own the story and (almost) everything in it.**

**Chapter 24: Reformatting**

Balthazar was fighting, fighting hard, and _enjoying_ it. While the weapon-wielding, hay-wired cleaning drones were unexpected, each one put up a wonderful fight against the Neo-Nazi leader, making him _earn_ his right for freedom. The only thing keeping him from being over run by them were the reinforcement soldiers pouring out to him from a near by camp, listening to a summons for help sent up by one of the other present soldiers at an earlier time when Sunstreaker had attacked. Several of the cleaning drones were hacking Ratchet out of his icy prison and the medic looked ready to run once he was free.

_**This is stupid!**_ His angry side snarled. _**Just jump in the tank and blow them all up!**_

Thick, warm, heaviness settled on Balthazar's limbs, suggesting that he, specifically, needn't do the blowing up.

_No,_ Balthazar, the one in control, thought as he punched a drone in the face, crushing metal, then ducked a gun-club swing from behind from another. _I will not run a risk of killing my own men, especially Willium, should he come back._

_**But Willium's only human! You are the son of Blitzwing, famed murderer of the Decepticon ranks!**_ The angry side argued. Balthazar spun around and knelt slightly, holding his palms out. Ice flew from the palms and froze half a dozen cleaning drones instantly.

_And Blitzwing was also hated and feared so much that no one was there to save his aft in the Final Battle. I will not make the same mistake he did and loose valuable allies._

_Ha, ha!_ A third voice laughed in Willium's head. Willium felt the jolt of energy accompanying this last personality, making him fall on his back as bullets flew right through the air he had just been standing in. Some ninja stars flew through the air after the bullets, making Balthazar scowl in confusion. Where did _those_ come from?

_"Final Battle?"_ the craziest side laughed. _If it was the Final Battle, then why are we standing here and fighting now? Or more like lying here and fighting, ha, ha! Ooh, drones! Do they swear as bad as people say they do?_

_Go back your dark corner of the mind,_ Balthazar thought, leaping to his feet and pouncing on a drone from behind, thus saving one of his own wounded soldiers. He slammed the drone's block head into the paved ground brutally again and again as he continued to speak mentally, his outward image belaying nothing of what was going on behind his dried-blood eyes. _I'm busy here._

_Doing what, turning little bots' heads to jelly? Ooh, it looks yummy, like metal Rice Crispy Treats! Can I have a taste?_

The angry side and Balthazar both thought a "NO" in unison to the one that was a nut case, even by _their_ standards.

_I should __really__ start taking my medication again, _Balthazar thought, standing up from the oily mess he had caused and shaking his head, placing one wet glove to his helmet and aching head.

This time, it was the angry side and the nameless, unwanted crazy one who thought "NO" in unison. Then they both attacked Balthazar's mind for control of his body, creating two drilling spots of pain in his head. The unnamed one's unbalanced, jittery, un-concentrated energy and Hot Head's warm, thick, brutal strength filled Balthazar's cool limbs at the same time, struggling to possess them. This had happened before many times and Balthazar had learned to hold the body while he was in control of it. He expressed that ability now by spinning around and slamming a booted heel at a drone to disarm the chainsaw it was wielding, even as his personalities fought for his body.

_Well I __will__ if you two don't __stop it this instant!_ He thought, his face twitching in anger.

_**Look out!!**_ The angry side and the nameless one yelled in unison.

A brawny cleaning drone meant for picking up and discarding garbage cans caught Balthazar up by a wrist and ankle, lifting him high in the air. A buzz saw crudely welded to its chest flicked up, spinning its blade as it extended to Balthazar's back and spine. The so-called "stalled" tank's occupants suddenly "realized" that it was working again and quickly shot a small missile at the trash can drone. The trash can sparked and short circuited, falling forward into the hole that Sunstreaker had caused earlier with Balthazar still in its grip.

Caught in the grip of the dead drone, Balthazar was helpless to swim back to the surface as the drone got caught between two support beams underwater. Something exploded over head and the already stressed support beams in the cold water below were knocked loose. A beam sat crooked beneath Balthazar and another fell across his waist, pinning him in a blue-light, icy watery tomb. The drone was knocked from its grip around him and sank into the dark depths below. The cold water surrounded Balthazar like the ominous grip of death; it was still spring, after all, and winter had yet to leave the ocean sea. And when did the sea ever become warm, any way?

Balthazar writhed and shook in the cold water as his face gradually became blue from lack of oxygen and the cold combined. What little air he had left was going stale fast. If he did not get to the surface now, he would die. What of his army then? What would happen to his troops without their leader? Would Megatron spare the hundreds of ranks of brave, loyal soldiers? None held respect for Willium, Balthazar was sure. Willium, everyone thought, was just the "pretty boy yes man" that Balthazar kept as a pet; he would have no respect among the troops. Would Megatron have a use for the army without Balthazar, a Decepticon Effort, to lead them? Some how, Balthazar doubted that. He needed to escape this cold, watery grave before he was forever trapped here!

_**Pull and push!**_ His angry side, as hot and red as pepper, bellowed in his head. _**Push and pull it off!**_

_I can't, I'm too weak, you idiot!_ Balthazar snapped back mentally.

_Ooh!_ His crazy side suddenly exclaimed, making colors swirl behind Balthazar's eyes as it spun around and around in his head. _Look what I found!_

The crazy side of Balthazar threw a memory to the front of his mind like it was a newspaper going to its buyer's door step in the morning. When Balthazar failed to pick up the train of thought, his crazy side shoved his mind and the memory together.

_"Well according to Shadowleap, an Effort can access their robot form by stabbing their Spark chamber, right by their heart, with something metal. It can be a bullet or something sharp and metal. Or they can soak in energon, but that's longer and more painful. The stabbing or shot thing is instant."_

Benjamin had said that earlier…

Looking up in the bluish sea water, Balthazar saw a large shard of black shrapnel blown off a tank tucked in the crook between two crumbling beams. He reached up with a heavy gloved hand and seized the shrapnel.

_It's worth a shot,_ he thought.

_**What!? Are you stupid? We will all die!**_ His angry side yelled, apparently _not_ in the mood for suicide or kamikaze.

_Do you have any better ideas?_ Balthazar snapped back, positioning the half-and-arm-length long metal over his chest. _Because I do not!_

When the angry side was reluctantly silent, Balthazar knew that this was his last chance. His crazy side was jittering in his head like it was on a caffeine high, eager to see the results of his experiment, while Balthazar held the shrapnel steady. But darkness was closing in too close and his limbs were becoming too stiff and cold to obey him.

_No…_ he mentally whispered as his gloved fingers began to loosen.

But the random side and angry side came to his rescue, sharing the arms to clench Balthazar's hands around the shrapnel in an exceedingly rare display of team work.

_**As the Americans say: here goes nothing,**_ the angry side growled.

Then all three pulled the shrapnel into their chest.

There was a small pop in the water and redness began to mix into the water at once, turning the blue light purple. But the darkness at once receded and the three personalities with in the body of Balthazar felt something amazing happen.

It was hard to tell at first, but he defiantly grew. Purple accents appeared on his black boots and gloves as his boots became enormous treads. Black and purple crossed across his abdomen and the rest of his body thickened, grew, and hardened into tan-brown metal. A pair of enormous, sharp protrusions leaped from his back, turning and sharpening as they became wings. At the same time, two large, bulky devices appeared on either shoulder, resembling sort of rocket launchers. He kept his flap-carrying desert hat, which sprouted a pair of circles like goggles. The monocle he had around his left eye sank into his face as the red glow made his eye balls become red optics.

The bluish tint that had come to his face as a gift from death became his actual face by the transformation was complete. All damages he had earned as a human had been erased. All signs of delicate flesh or humane weakness were gone. Death had taken its blackness of drowning and had vanished. Shoving the iron beam that had held him down off, Balthazar swam back, looking down at his hands for a stunned minute. Closing his optics suddenly, he curled up and grasped his head as twin spikes of enormous pain pierced it, just like it always did when ever his other personalities fought for space.

But this time they did not fight. This time, they were being separated into their own minds, given their own personal space. They were not fragments of him self crudely stitched together, but whole selves waiting their turn with Balthazar's new body. For once in his life, all three personalities were shocked by the new freedom.

Balthazar slowly uncurled and looked to the surface, a smirk growing across his blue face as his optics began to emit a ruby glow.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

That had been less than two minutes ago before he had felt that Willium was in trouble and swam through the water beneath Transport City to come up behind Jazz. Now Jazz and the humans looked up in drop-jawed shock as he burst from the pavement and into the air. He was enormous and made of light brown, black, and dark purple metal now, but the monocle, the face, the _hat_ were all clear pointers to who he was.

"General Balthazar!?" Willium exclaimed, looking up at the general.

"We…" the blue-tinted face of the robot began.

A blur of color appeared as his face shifted with in his helmet, now revealing a thick, red-faced, visor-eyed face with a missing top tooth. A pair of long guns charged up on his shoulders.

"Are!" he roared savagely.

A second change came, now revealing the black face of a red-mouthed, red-eyed jack-o-lantern.

"_Blitzwing!!!" _the mech that was once Balthazar cheered before raining plasma fire down on the battlefield.

"Oh cuss," Jazz stated.

Blitzwing flew over and landed hard facing Jazz and standing between the Autobot and humans.

"Now, about this situation--" ex-Balthazar began.

"Why choose Blitzwing, of all names?" Jazz asked.

"In memory of my father," Balthazar replied.

His face suddenly blurred as it changed and the red-and-black jack-o-lantern face appeared.

"And because we're all blitz-y, glitch-y winged boys!" then new face declared cheerfully. "Random!"

His face blurred and the red-face appeared.

"Hot Head," he growled. He seemed to look over his shoulder by turning his head only slightly. "And I am going to _murder_ that Random someday."

A final face change and initial blue-faced Blitzwing appeared again, "I am Cold, formally known as Balthazar. And Hot Head, you shall do no such thing." To Jazz, "My apologies if this seems… _unusual_ to say the least, but it actually quite helps with the multiple personality complex issue. Now, about this situation; I am most cross that you were about to harm my good friend, Lieutenant Willium Walter."

"He was going to shoot my little buddy, Josh!" Jazz exclaimed, pointing at Willium.

"He dared accuse you and me of being impure!" Willium declared, pointing at Josh.

"_He's_ a homophobic!" Josh whooped, pointing at Willium.

"Shut up!" was Willium's guilty come back.

"No matter," Blitzwing said, waving a hand in dismissal, "Let us end this petty conflict right now. The hostage deal is out the window, and I am sure that none of us desire a fight, so how about you and the boy lay down while Willium and I shoot you?"

_"NO!!!"_ Josh and Jazz yelled together.

Balthazar shrugged and stated, "Your choice."

Two guns sprouted from his shoulders and shot twin ice blasts at Jazz. Jazz rolled to the side, leaving the ice shots to splatter over on the pavement behind him, leaping up to become sharp, spikey croppings of frozen crystal. Hot Head took control and shot two jets of flame at Jazz just as he got to his feet, making the Autobot leap backwards. The previous ice croppings hissed and melted under the red hot flames. Josh shifted his weight, ready to take advantage of the situation and run, but Willium poked his gun at him.

"Ah, ah, ah!" he warned. "Stay there. I still have a gun, you know."

Josh glared up at Willium, but obediently sat back down and watched Jazz and newly-remade Blitzwing fight.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

"Come on, slow poke!

"Nyah nyah, nyah nyah, you can't catch me!

"Missed me, missed me, now you gotta kiss me!

"Pfft, and they call _you_ an elite?

"Shorty can't break it like a human shorty can, can ya?

"I'm over here! No, here! No, over _here_, dummy face!

"Oh this is _so_ pathetically easy. Who needs to punch when you can just _run circles_ around the bad guys?

"So, what do you do with those hammer things your so famous for? Knock squirrels out of trees so that they'll teach you how to hide in bigger, better things than you, like trees and Soundwave?"

Rumble was _furious_. Max had, literally, ran circles around him, drawing him out into the street where he continued frequently dodging in and out of Rumble's grasp. From doing hand-springs and whacking Rumble with Grind to suddenly kicking the skateboard into his face, Rumble just couldn't strike back. Rumble gnashed his teeth as his red visor glowed and he clenched his fists.

"Just to let you know," Rumble snarled. "Being carried by Soundwave is of a high honor you will never understand!"

"Yeah, I know," Max replied, balancing on the tip of the skateboard's nose. "Because I'm not a coward who hides until he's absolutely forced to come out."

_That_ was the last straw.

"That's it!" Rumble roared, "You wanna rumble?"

Rumble's fists clenched and melted into one mass as his elbows locked and metal reinforcement walls covered his arms, making him massive pile drivers. He jumped as high as he could, swinging the pile drivers to either side of him.

"_Let's get ready to rumble!!"_ he roared, slamming his pile drivers down.

The effect was instant, and judging by the bark of pain the shock absorbers in his shoulders emitted, Rumble had just created the biggest earthquake in his career as a Decepticon.

Max was knocked clear off his feet and people for miles around in the city were shaken from their footing. Below the paved streets and their metal reinforcements, down in the very metal beams and Transformer magnetic technology that reinforced it all, metal beams _shattered_ and bolts were shaken from their holdings. The impact Rumble had created was many times beyond the structure's capability to hold and it was taking its toll as the entire structure began to crumble beneath the residents' very feet. Emergency sirens began wailing all across the city like the bomb warnings of WWII in London. People still hiding from the war took a chance, fleeing from their homes and hiding places to get to the water and onto rafts or take off in space cruisers. At the Global Autobot Headquarters, soldiers loaded the wounded onto emergency cruisers and evacuated. Everyone else, Megatron and his party and all the Efforts fighting, stumbled and fell.

Rumble transformed his pile drivers back into arms and stared dumbly at his feet as water began to seep up through the cracks created there and collect around his boots.

"Dude," Max said, getting to his feet. "You just broke the _city._"

The sound of roaring jets sounded out over head and they looked up to see Soundwave come to hover over them, using the hover technology in his boots.

"Rumble, return," Soundwave ordered, pressing a button on his chest. "Initial mission: Assist in re-capture of prisoners. New mission: Collect Cassetticons and evacuate Transport City. Additional notes: Good work in mass destruction. Approval: Maximum."

_That probably translates to: Holy shit, great job, you broke the city!!_ Max thought, standing stiffly as he waited for his fate.

But Soundwave ignored the boy, landing briefly to pick Frenzy up from the ally he still lay in before leaving. Max looked down when he saw the water coming up to him and realized he had to get out of here _fast_.

_The high roads!_ He thought, jumping on Grind and pushing himself away, picking up speed. _The high roads might stay above water!_

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Optimus, Bumblebee, and Ironhide sped through the streets of the sinking city in their alt forms, counting their lucky stars that Megatron had decided to leave them to their own fate when the city had began sinking. After shocks frequently rocked the city and it was becoming harder to drive around the holes appearing in the pavement. Bumblebee brought up the rear, and was the one who almost fell into a hole in the pavement even as it crumbled into the sea. He cried out, transforming into robot form, only to have a red and yellow hand from two different mechs catch either of his hands.

"Sideswipe! Sunstreaker!" Bumblebee cheered as the Lamborghini Twins hauled him out of the hole. "I never thought I'd say this, but I'm sure glad to see you!" He looked at Sunstreaker. "Sunny, what the Pit happened to _you_?"

A small shout sounded out and a certain yellow-haired Effort came rolling around the holes and debris of the city and crashed into Bumblebee's leg.

"Jeez, man, watch where you park it—" Max grunted, sitting up.

"Max!" Bumblebee gasped, picking the boy up. "Oh my gosh, Max, I'm so glad you're okay—"

"Wait, dad?" Max exclaimed, "You're here, not at some political meeting or something?"

"No, why would I?" Bumblebee asked, looking at Max. "You're my son; more important than any old politician in the world."

Max stared at Bumblebee for a long moment, then grinned happily.

Suddenly, Prowl stopped in patrol car form by them, honking, and Becky poked her head out of the window.

"HEY!" she yelled. "What's this look like, happy hour? Transform and haul aft up to high ground, scrap sticks!"

"Language," Bumblebee muttered sternly.

Ratchet sped past them, sirens screaming.

"Come on! Come on! Come on!" Ratchet yelled.

The trio obeyed the girl and ambulance and followed Prowl after a waiting Ironhide and Optimus Prime after Bumblebee tucked Max into himself safely. Bumblebee stopped, though, and backed up. His door opened and Max plucked Grind off the ground. Then Bumblebee slammed his door shut and they sped off.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

"It appears that this is where we leave, my good friend," Mextron told Benjamin, even though it was his sword held to block Benjamin's broken one. "I apologize for the condition of your sword, but I am afraid that it can not be helped. Until next time, Autobot Effort Benjamin…"

Mextron stepped back and bowed low, taking off his hat to hold it to his chest in a salute. Benjamin gasped when he saw the face; it was more angular, it had scarlet eyes, rather than blue eyes, and the hair was grey, rather than brown… but it was his own face. Mextron smirked in a friendly way at Benjamin's shock.

"Ah, it appears that we are related," he stated. "Good bye, Benjamin."

Thus speaking, Mextron saluted Benjamin with his sword before doing a back flip off of the cat walk of the news paper machinery. There was a flash and a silver mech spread his hawk-like jet wings and hovered briefly in the warehouse, giving Benjamin a clear look at him. Young and a head shorter than Megatron, Transformer Mextron was silvery grey with jet wings like a hawk on his back and a red visor was clasped across his optics. Certain things were shared between Megatron and the younger Decepticon; they both had the same black arm cannon, feet, and upper body lay out.

Then Mextron transformer, his arms, legs, and head folding into him and being covered up as his wings grew stiff and he took on the shape of a battle space cruiser of some sort shaped like a boomerang. Mextron shot out of the warehouse, blowing it apart as the ground beneath shook from another after shock.

Silence reigned. Mextron stared at the hole in the ceiling. The machinery below sparked and coughed before dying, drowned by the water that was beginning to fill the warehouse. Remembering his surroundings, Mextron slowly walked along the cat walk and down its stairs, heading towards the exit. His mind worked calmly and slowly, mentally locating the best places for him to go to escape the rising water level.

A gun shot rang out, making something in Benjamin stand straight up in shock. Bolting, he ran forward and out the warehouse. He heard a jet roar and looked up to see a light brown, black, and dark purple Transformer that looked oddly familiar fly off with Willium in his grip. Benjamin heard a strange chug and looked down to see Jazz kneeling on the water-covered ground near by, holding a small body in his hands. Jazz was covered in burn marks, laser scars, and was encrusted in some places with ice. Benjamin saw the bloody area where the head of the body Jazz was holding was, the black tee shirt, and his mind shut out the rest of the facts.

"Josh… Josh…" Jazz sobbed, holding the boy close. "Josh... Josh…"

But even as tears were about to block out the rest of the world, Benjamin saw something seeping out of Josh's prone form… a silvery grey mist, enwrapping and hugging him…

"Jazz," Benjamin whispered. "Look."

Jazz looked at Benjamin, then down at the body in his hands even as it started glowing.

**AN: I know what you're thinking if you haven't guessed it yet: Blitzwing!? Animated Blitzwing!? Yeap, if you hadn't figured it out before (like _certain _reviewers), Balthazar's alt-form is Animated Blitzwing from ****Transformers Animated****. Why did I choose him? Because he fitted in perfectly with the story and I had no idea how to complete it without him. So, ta daa! And no, I don't own him, either. -_-".**


	25. Atlantis

**Disclaimer: Hasbro owns Transformers, and I own the story and (almost) everything in it.**

**Chapter 25: Atlantis**

Josh had remembered seeing Jazz pinning Balthazar-come-Blitzwing to the ground, about to finish the Decepticon Effort when Willium had said something about stopping it. Jazz had shot back something clever, something about pastries, then Willium had pulled the trigger of the gun held to Josh's head. He didn't hear the gun shot; just a pop, and the entire world suddenly went black, as if someone had pressed the button on the TV to turn it off.

Josh had sat there, suddenly realizing that he had watched the moment from outside of his body, looking at himself sit on the ground, and had seen his own dumb look of confusion even as the gun pop had turned off his life. He had sat in the darkness, waiting for something to happen, for a light to come, to feel flames biting at his feet, anything. He had been oddly patient. He didn't see his life flash before his eyes, he didn't worry for his friends and family, he had no regrets, and he just had no emotions. Some how, coming to terms with death was surprisingly easy. He was ready to wait in eternity in that darkness.

But when things changed, they changed quickly. He had first been aware of a growing ache in his head, on the top right side, then he had felt stiffness in his chest. Next thing he knew, someone was shaking him and he found himself being rushed towards a life.

Waking up, Josh's eyes blinked as he found himself lying on his back. He could see a white cloud-crossed blue sky over head, and Jazz sitting beside him. To the far left side; Max and a red and white feline Transformer. To the far right side; Bumblebee and Jess. Things were blurry both in sound and sight, but they were getting sharper every second. He became aware that Jazz was shaking his shoulder, yelling at him to wake up. He could hear the roar of water around then and even felt dampness on himself. Over head, numerous military air craft started crossing the sky, their engines roaring in competition with the water, and laser fire hissed in the air.

Wait, Jazz was shaking his shoulder? Did Jazz shrink or…?

Josh sat up and looked at his hands, suddenly wondering why they felt oddly covered; was he wearing gloves? At first, he thought he was; his arms were black up to the elbow, where they became white. Then he realized that his "gloves" were made of metal… as were his arms.

Looking down at his chest, he found that his chest was covered in white, inter-lapping armor. A black pattern in the shape of an X had its upper arms touching either shoulder, connected by a thick black line that ran over the top of his shoulders and around his neck, and lower arms touching his hips on either side with a black belt between them. His legs were longer with black boots up to his knees and cone-like structures on their backs. Looking at the cones, he noticed that their wider, lower ends were hollow and glowing a dim white. Even as he watched, the glow brightened as machinery with in _him_ hummed to life and white marks appeared in his vision, politely informing him that the temperature with in the cones was suddenly rising.

"_WHAT THE PIT!?"_ Josh screamed, leaping to his feet.

The cones on his heels spurted some light and something on him hitched him even higher, making him jump higher than anticipated. Jazz cried out in surprise, jumping to his feet and catching Josh's foot, dragging him back to ground.

"Watch it, kid!" Jazz exclaimed. "We got Decepticon creeps at all corners!"

It was now Josh finally took his attention off himself and looked around.

He and Jazz, as well as Optimus Prime, Benjamin, Ratchet, a red and white cat Transformer, Bumblebee, Max, Ironhide, Jess, and a few other stray humans, Transformers, and even abandoned stray pet dogs and cats were on top of one of the highest high roads of Transport City. The road was shifting dangerously to the right, making everyone stand at an angle. Below them, water covered the city; drowning its parks, sewers, and lower buildings. Over head, Decepticons were flying around the city and making use of the easy target practice, becoming the city's ominous death crows. Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, Ironhide, and Jess were all shooting up at the air-born Decepticons, keeping them at a distance. Ratchet was throwing wrenches at them.

"What…" Josh said slowly. "The _hell_ happened?"

"Rumble broke the city," Max answered.

"Sunstreaker went ape shit," Bumblebee commented. "And ran off with Sideswipe and Prowl to Primus knows where on our way here."

"One of the busiest days of my life," Optimus said.

"I found out that I'm some how related to Megatron's son," Benjamin said.

"I think I fell in love," said Jess.

"She's suffering a concussion," Ironhide said, pointing at Jess. "We found her running into a wall running from Laserbeak."

"It was an accident!" Jess exclaimed.

"Still got a sick bump on the head."

"Agreed," the feline Transformer and Ratchet agreed.

"You died," Jazz added. "And you came back as a Transformer."

"I got hooked and turned into a cat," the feline said. "It's me, Anne."

Josh's eyes widened at the feline, but Max, behind Anne, made cut-throat motions, warning him not to say anything. Josh slowly turned and stared at Jazz.

"Jazz," he said carefully. "How the _hell_—"

"Look out, here they come!" Ironhide suddenly exclaimed.

Looking up, the Decepticon jets had started circling their island. Some parted briefly to fly down to a certain trio of tied-up Decepticons left to drown and released them. Megatron, jet-formed Mextron, Ferrofluid, a rather bruised-looking Skywarp and Thundercracker in jet forms, a dark red and grey Seeker femme that appeared oddly familiar, and Soundwave in hovering robot mode all appeared in a line over them. Josh zoomed in on the femme Seeker: Slim and well curved, she shared the same color scheme as Starscream, but maroon where he was red and dark grey where he was white.

"Smartmouth?" Josh called up curiously.

"Give the idiot a cigar," the femme sighed, "For stating the obvious."

"Let's just finish this," Ferrofluid growled, folding up and transforming into an army helicopter. "I'm sick of this place."

"You have the honors, Soundwave," Megatron said, nodding to the blue and white Decepticon.

"Retaliation needed for negative behavior to Decepticon Rumble from Autobot Effort Max," Soundwave said, his red visor glowing as he held his palms up, pointing them down at the party. "Retaliation: Death."

"Yeah," Max said slowly, crossing his arms across his chest. "So in other words, you're the muscle Rumble called in to deal with me because he couldn't. Also, you're pissed off that I dissed the little dude."

"Correct," Soundwave agreed.

Then he showed why he was called Soundwave.

A roaring screech emitted from Soundwave, shattering the Autobots' car windows and making them keel over and cry out in pain. The humans and Efforts grasped their heads and screamed in pain as the awful sound threatened to permeate the very depths of their minds and rip them to shreds. It was the most painful punishment one could imagine, being every where, inescapable and totally irresistable. Josh's vision flashed red as something in him begged for mercy. Screaming in pain, he fell down hard, the light in the cones of his boots stuttering before going out. It wouldn't be long now, at least, before the humans' and Autobots' minds all decided to release the pressure in the most fatal way…

Suddenly, enormous jet engines roared and a huge red, white, and blue space jet dropped down to hover over the party. As it dropped, it carelessly knocked aside Decepticon fliers and sent them reeling away in the air or to splash into the water. An orange boom box sitting on top of the jet's nose transformed and grew as it came into a kneeling position. In spite of Soundwave's banshee screech, this mech appeared unharmed by the sound… or at least was putting up a good show of _not_ being harmed.

"Hey, Transport City peeps, I heard you have a _noise complaint_ so let's give the old lady next door something to _really_ complain about, courtesy of Blaster!" the boom box whooped.

Thus speaking his challenge, Blaster smacked a hand to one of the buttons on his chest and bore it at Soundwave. Rock music roared from his speakers, colliding with Soundwave's screech and making the sound waves collide in the air in a show of shaking air. With Soundwave's deadly scream mostly muted, the fatal pressure began to let off of the victims' heads, but they were still dazed.

From with in Skyfire (for how many enormous red, white, and blue intergalactic jets do you know of?), Sunstreaker, Sideswipe, Wheeljack, Jack Turbine, and Mr. and Mrs. Witwicky ran out, helping the people on the high road get into the safety of Skyfire's hull. The stray animals followed their instincts and the wiser people and ran on ahead into the jet. No one had the heart to kick them out. Out to sea, British war ships announced their presence by taking target practice on the air-born Decepticons and sea- stuck Nazi submarines.

With every one safely in him, Skyfire rose up quickly, wrenching Blaster and Soundwave apart from their audio battle.

"Look out," Skyfire warned his passengers.

Skyfire suddenly tossed his nose up, flipping Blaster high in the air over him. He then flipped over and shot forward, opening his bay doors to swallow Blaster as he came back down.

Blaster collided right into Sunstreaker as he was swallowed by Skyfire, sending them both sprawling on the floor.

"Nice to see you shaped up and became a mech!" Sunstreaker laughed.

"Yeah, well, I sensed that my friends needed me and managed to talk to a guy or two," Blaster laughed. Then he saw Sunstreaker. "Wow, what happened to you?"

With everyone safe in him, Skyfire's jets roared to life and he sped off, leaving the Decepticons and His Majesty's Royal Navy battle it out around Transport City. Everyone ran to his side windows to look one last time down on their magnificent city before, like the grand land of Atlantis, it sank.

Water rushed into buildings, sending floatable object to bump against the ceiling as the water level rose or float on the sea's surface one dragged out by currents. Stray rats, cats, and dogs fought for space on small islands and shared it on larger islands. Parks went underwater as abandoned boats tied to undisturbed docks were dragged under when their ropes refused to snap and let them go. War refugees and Nazi soldiers alike ran for their boats and behaved just like the animals; fighting for space if scarce, but sharing it if in bounty.

For a moment, it looked like the city would remain in sight when the sinking stopped; perhaps it would still be able to be lifted from its watery position?

But then a great creaking bark, heard even from their height with in Skyfire, sounded out. The entire city shook one last massive time, then simply collapsed. Entire buildings fell on their sides. High roads fell against each other like drunken comrades before slumping into the sea, their final bed, to sleep. Unlucky people and strays still on roof tops cried out in dismay as their islands sank. Those that did not drown would later be rescued by the British Navy. But for now…

For now, Skyfire turned his jets onto full throttle and sped away from the battle, taking his charges away from the horror and the sad grave sight of their home. He slid the protective metal plates back over his side windows, thus blocking out the war-filled sky and any more images of the worst three days any one had ever had in him.

"Skyfire," Optimus said quietly. "Where are you taking us?"

"Somewhere safe, Optimus," Skyfire simply replied. "Somewhere safe."

No one felt like breaking the following silence. The Autobots, their Efforts, and all the other refugees Skyfire had managed to rescue all drifted to their own corners and groups and rested their weary bodies and minds. They had finally found a spot of peace in this chaos, and that was all they wanted at the moment.


	26. Home

**Disclaimer: Last time: Hasbro owns Transformers. I own the story and (almost) everything in it, including the Efforts (But not Balthazar's/Blitzwing's TF form) and Transport City.**

**Chapter 26: Home**

"Jazz, we need to talk."

Jazz looked up from where he sat as Josh sat down beside him. The boy was still a Transformer. Around them, people were napping with in Skyfire as he cruised across Earth air space. Even the stray animals they had picked up were either napping or behaving themselves, looking just like the Transformer and human refugees: They just wanted to find their family and go home. But where was home when it had sunk beneath the sea?

"Oh, do we, now?" Jazz asked, trying to play himself off as unbothered by the current situation.

"I tried asking my parents about this," Josh said, gesturing to himself. "But dad told me to just call him Joe and to talk to you. Jazz…"

Josh moved Jazz's arm so that he could see his face in the reflective purpose. He looked like a younger version of Jazz with optics that were just barely colored blue and softer corners. A silver visor dropped from the helmet structure on his head and covered his optics, then rose up again becoming a hat bill. He touched his cheek, watching the motion in Jazz's arm reflection.

"What is this?" Josh finished.

Jazz moved the arm Josh was looking into, moving it to wrap around Josh's shoulders and making the boy sit beside him. Jazz smiled as he squeezed Josh closer to himself, suppressing a small chuckle brought on when one is in an awkward position and it's almost funny. After a long moment, he spoke.

"Josh, I am your father."

"Jazz, this is serious. No Star Wars jokes, please."

"I am serious, Josh; you're an Autobot Effort and I'm your daddy."

Jazz counted down from five as he waited for it to sink in.

"Five, four, three, two, one…"

"_WHAT!?"_ Josh bellowed.

"Shut up," the other passengers groaned.

Jazz explained.

"One day a year before you were born, a massive jail break occurred at the Asteroid Belt Prison and I had to get called in to recapture the jail mates. There was a fight there, a big one, and I was knocked into a coma. Everyone thought I wouldn't pull through, so they decided to make me an Effort in memory of me, but I woke up when you were three. I wanted you, Primus, I wanted you, but the Witwicky family was already raising you and I couldn't break anyone's heart that way, by ripping a fmily apart, so I watched you grow up from a distance.

"I was always inwardly upset because I was never there. Not all the money or attention in Hollywood could make up for my loss. You realize how hard it was for me not to correct people when they called Joe Witwicky your dad and saying how proud they should be for 'his' son? Every time you called Joe 'Dad', I wanted you to say that to me. Every time you said 'let's go home', I wanted you to mean _my_ home. I wanted to be the one you were walking to for your first steps. I wanted to be the first one to hear your first words. I wanted to be the one worrying for you when you went to school on the first day. Heck, I even wanted to wake up every night to attend your diaper changes as a baby!

"I wanted to make you mine so badly, but I couldn't."

Jazz dropped his head miserably.

"I couldn't…" he whispered.

A long awkward pause fell between them. Josh blew out air through his mouth in a sigh as he ran hand along the back of his new metal helmeted head.

"Whew," he said.

"Is that a good 'whew' or a bad 'whew'?" Jazz asked.

"Just 'whew'," Josh replied. "Just 'whew' as if in 'whew, that's a lot to take in'. So… mysterious car-giving uncle…?"

"Yeah," Jazz chuckled. "That was me. Too bad that Mustang's at the bottom of the ocean though, neh?"

"It's in the back," Sunstreaker said across the cargo bay from them, jerking a thumb to the rear of Skyfire. "It's an ugly Earth car, but MJ insisted."

"Thank you, eaves dropper," Jazz mock-growled at the one-eyed Transformer.

"You mean thank you _One-Eyed Willie_," Jess joked, joining the conversation.

"Say that again," Sunstreaker growled, aiming his gun at her. "I dare you."

Ironhide mimicked a Transformer dog's growl as he cupped his hands protectively around Jess. Sunstreaker returned the growl.

"You gotta admit," Anne said from where she was in Ratchet's lap. "It's a good story."

"Such tragedy and unfairness, such drama, such love," Becky sighed, leaning back against Prowl's chest while she sat in his lap, "All on the same level as _Romeo and Juliet!_"

"Sounds like a chick flick, to me," Jack Turbine commented, laying on his stomach on Wheeljack's head and tapping his fingers on one of the mech's enormous ear… things.

"How many hot chicks are in the flick?" Max joked.

Several of the female humans threw their shoes at them, protesting loudly, but everyone enjoyed a good laugh, none the less.

"Guess what?" Michelangelo said drawing himself out of the chest of the Transformer he was helping to fix. "I'm really a human adopted by Skyfire. Talk about weird, eh?"

"Really?" Benjamin asked. "How did that happen?"

Michelangelo told them about how Skyfire had been unable to have even an Effort kid and had found him on the side of the road in Scotland and adopted him.

"I think it's kinda cool," Jess said. "I mean, you got adopted by an _Autobot_! That's gotta be worth something, neh?"

Everyone agreed.

"We're approaching our destination," Skyfire announced. "Then we can all get some sleep."

Skyfire's jets powered down and there was a small jilt as he landed. The bay doors opened slowly, revealing a desert beyond.

"May Optimus have the honors?" Skyfire asked.

"Thank you, Skyfire," Optimus replied.

He transformed into his red and blue flat-faced semi truck form, his slow pace revealing his exhaustion and pains from the fight he had been fighting. Everyone else transformed just as slowly as him; they were all tired, broken, bruised, and heart broken from loosing their home. Humans either got into the Transformer cars or walked along beside them. The animals, having no where else to go, followed them. They just wanted a safe nest to sleep in and escape the horrors of the Decepticons and the world, even if it were for a few hours.

Outside, Optimus looked around at a dark, barren land, then drove around to face the way Skyfire was facing. He stalled momentarily in shock and sat there for several moments. They were on the side of a large mountain; correction, an extinct volcano. The area in front of them was caged off with warning signs about trespassing on them, but they didn't need to worry about those signs; this land had been given to them by the humans in appreciation for their hard work, and in case they ever came back to it. In side him, Benjamin touched his wheel gently.

Finally, Optimus started himself up again and rolled forward, breaking through the chained-closed gate easily and leading the way into the massive broken-open, rusty orange space ship. A mesh hung in the entrance; a precautionary against wild life. He stopped, letting Benjamin out before transforming and reaching out to tear down the mesh. His chest-mounted head lights turned on and he led the way inside. The other Autobots exchanged shocked glances as they, too, turned on their lights and entered their old home.

Headlights fell on massive computer councils, tables, and orange walls, all covered heavily in dirt and dust. Everyone spread out slowly, touching the walls, looking at scuffs in the floor, letting their jaws drop as they saw old burn marks. Each and every Autobot that had been there for the Final Battle forgot about the present and Transport City as they went back in time, back to a time when they lived on Cybertron; In their own minds and in their own ways, they re-experienced the fight they had had with the Decepticons in this very ship before crashing into a developing planet. Millions of years later, they had woken up in darkness as the computer had revived them. Hundreds of memories of their beginning days on Earth followed. Old friends were still alive, the Decepticons were still a roaring threat on Cybertron as well as Earth, Breaker Labs was still a college-level science club, and Transport City and the Efforts had yet to be created.

They were home.

Wheeljack, with Jack Turbine on his shoulder, looked around then spotted something that looked like a Transformer's white plastic soft ball with wires sticking out of it on the computer council. His ear things flickered blue happily as he picked it up and tapped the device.

"Hey, I was wondering where I put this!" he said happily.

Then everyone remembered that if Wheeljack forgot something somewhere, it was a blessing because his things almost always blew up.

"Wheeljack!" everyone yelled, "No!!"

Electricity sparked in the device and Wheeljack dropped it as it emitted a shockwave, knocking him into Ironhide. The device spat a burst of energy at the computer council before shattering on the floor. The massive screen of the computer flickered on before all the lights around it turned on like a spreading wave and the lights of the ship glowed to life.

"**Welcome back to the **_**Ark**_**, Autobots,"** a familiar, cool, feminine voice said. **"It's been a long time."**

"Teletran One," Ironhide said, grinning as he placed his hands on his hips. "You know, it was pity when we couldn't bring you with us to Transport City."

"**Yes. But that turned out to be a lucky move in the end, was it not?"**

An awkward, sad silence agreed.

"**Officer Prowl; shall I print a new log of forms for the visitors to fill out?"**

"Erhem, yes!" Prowl declared, falling back into his element on his original home turf. "Anyone who is not an Autobot here to stay fill out the green forms. Autobots who are not going to be staying fill out the white form—"

"Any one staying go grab your room!" Sideswipe yelled, jumping up and pushing down on Prowl's shoulders from behind. "I call the room closest to the recreational room with a working TV!"

"Not if I get there first," Sunstreaker declared, leading the stampede deeper into the ship.

Prowl sighed and slapped a hand over his face. He looked up when a large hand patted him on the shoulder. It was Optimus.

"Optimus," Prowl said. "Is it wrong of me to feel glad that Transport City sank because it brought us back here?"

Optimus looked around at the crowd. Autobots that were going to stay and fight were getting their roles situated with Prowl, Teletran One was helping civilians contact loved ones, and Ratchet and Jazz were already arranging trips to take people into town so that they could make their way home-- to a new home, at least-- from there. It was busy, chaotic, with more then one shouting voice, but some how, it felt warm and comfortable, unlike the nervous terror that had riddled the action back in the now-deceased Transport City.

After a long moment, Optimus took a deep breath and answered Prowl's question.

"No, Prowl, it's not."

"Why?"

"Because we're home."

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Swindle was lying in the elbow crook of a large replacement Transformer arm with his hands linked behind his head and his ankles crossed in his warehouse late at night. He was watching an old Mafia shoot-'em-up movie when the breaking news report came on, showing the dissipating battle over what appeared to be a space of sea in heavy turmoil. A British woman off screen instantly began narrating what was happening quickly.

_"This is Channel 16 coming to your live from the air over Transport City where the Decepticons and Autobots are in full combat, and while that's amazing, what's happened below is even more so…"_

Swindle sat up in interest. Behind him, a young human man put down the crate he was carrying to look over at the TV.

_"It appears that the city has __sunk__!"_ the reporter exclaimed. _"Approximately an hour ago, the city took a hit too large for the shock absorbers below the surface to handle and the city crumbled, sinking into the city!"_

As the woman went on to explain how all this happened, Swindle watched. After a long moment, he looked over to his human assistant. His human assistant looked back at him.

"What?" the human asked.

"I just realized…" Swindle said. "That our business is about to get a whole lot more profitable, Sam."

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Mean while, in a hidden base in the lawless land of North Africa, Megatron had just dismissed a council being held among his officers about further plans for the world. Half the meeting had gone to war plans including taking out France, Italy, and other European countries. The other half had been about newly gained information, which he spoke of now with his fellow Elites and the Decepticon Efforts.

"According to my resources," Megatron had said. "There are five unregistered Efforts out in the world. Already we have found as Balthazar and another, we have found from Frenzy's hacking of the now-destroyed Global Autobot Headquarters and his recent transformation, is none other than Josh Witwicky. That means there are three unregistered Efforts hidden in the world. The first is one our Efforts already have known, as he used to live among them before running away four years ago; a boy named Sam. One, we believe by collecting clues from the Breaker Lab notes from the hidden data bank, is with in Breaker Lab custody still. The last, we are unaware of its location.

"All three are critical in recruiting. You have seen what our Efforts can do; they can take the disguise of a human with the power of a Transformer at their side. And this is coming from Efforts who are not even _adults_ yet, and I look forward to seeing how General Balthazar—excuse me, _Blitzwing the Second_, does with his new-found powers. Recruiting these missing Efforts will ensure a quick win."

"And if they do not join?" one of the officers had asked.

"Then we kill them."

Later, Skynet exited the meeting, having been there with Mextron and the other older Deception Efforts. He was in the midst of thoughts as to how he could help find the missing Efforts when Soundwave picked him up by the back of his shirt from behind and walked into a storage room. Soundwave set Skynet down on top of a stack of crates and turned him around. Judging by the spiked feeling his telepathy held, Soundwave was unhappy about something.

"Ravage, Laserbeak, eject," Soundwave ordered.

Once the robot bird and panther were on either side of Skynet, Soundwave spoke.

"Skynet, Laserbeak" Soundwave began. "Crimes: Disobedience and deliberate neglect of Lord Megatron's orders by allowing and even aiding in escape of Autobot Effort Jess when you were ordered to retrieve her. Skynet may have even shared classified information with the girl. Appropriate action: report crimes to Lord Megatron and allow him to choose punishment. Chosen action—"

"What does this have to do with me?" Ravage yawned.

Soundwave turned to him and shook a finger at him, "Aware of feelings for Transformer form of Autobot Effort Anne. Advice: No. Ravage: Return."

Once the confused panther- 'Former was with in Soundwave, he turned back to Skynet and Laserbeak.

"Chosen action," he went on. "Laserbeak: Switch places with Buzzsaw. Buzzsaw will run the high-priority missions until further notice. Laserbeak: Return."

Laserbeak squawked in protest at the punishment, but transformed and returned, none the less. Soundwave turned his attention to Skynet and was silent for a long time, as if going over his decision one more time and questioning its suitability. Finally, it seemed to pass what ever test he put it through and he spoke it, making it official.

"Decepticon Effort Skynet," Soundwave went on. "I will not tell Megatron or Mextron of your feelings I sense that you have for Autobot Effort Jess on one condition and one condition only. I will not ask you to never see her again; the order is impossible and illogical, as it will not erase the feelings. The condition I set is this:

"You must obtain your own Cassetticons."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Credits**

All recognizable Decepticon and Autobot characters belong to Hasbro.

All Decepticon Efforts and Autobot Efforts and their Transformer modes belong to me, Kurieo Parnok, with the exception of General Balthazar's Transformer mode and split personalities, which are owned by _Transformers Animated_.

The story is my own invention, and if anyone would like to borrow or use it or anything with in it in any way, shape, or form, they should contact me for permission, first, and not claim it off as their own.

Decepticon Solarflare is property of **The Great Susinko **here on FanFiction. Net.

Decepticons Mash and Flickword are my own inventions.

**Additional Author Notes:**

**That was fun to write. Well, now, one last installment to go to address the biggest threat of them all: Breaker Laboratories. Just who are these guys, exactly? How did they become so powerful? Who funds them and why? What are their plans for the Efforts? What will they do now that they're a criminal organization for letting the Decepticons out? Where is their main base? And above all; how will they turn the tides of the Revived War?**

**And, of course, there are other questions, like that last bit about Cassetticons, and who the lost Efforts are, and what powers and what alt-forms will the Autobot Efforts develop. All will be revealed in the third and final installation of the Project Abominations story line in **_**Project Abominations: Breaker Laboratories. **_


End file.
